As a statewide, nonprofit 501(c)(3) aerospace and advanced manufacturing registered apprenticeship organization, AJAC raises public and private resources through grants and contracts on behalf of our mission to develop, implement and increase access to registered apprenticeships. AJAC is excited to announce the following new grants and partnerships which will expand apprenticeship and training opportunities to diverse populations and underserved communities across Washington State.
Ballmer Group: AJAC was awarded a three year, $750,000 grant to support a new position at AJAC to engage directly with the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) and financial aid offices at community and technical colleges across Washington State to connect AJAC apprentices and pre-apprentices to new public financial aid resources such as the Washington College Grant and the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship.
Career Launch Endorsement: AJAC recently enhanced its Manufacturing Academy apprenticeship preparation program to include a 3-month paid On-the-Job Training experience for out-of-school and opportunity youth, ages 16-29. In June, the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges endorsed this enhanced Advanced Manufacturing Academy (AMA) as a new Career Launch program, which will increase AJAC’s ability to partner with schools, colleges and workforce development councils across Washington State to better connect youth people to aerospace and advanced manufacturing apprenticeship pathways.
Career Connect Washington Intermediary Round 4: AJAC was awarded a one year, $250,000 grant to support the statewide expansion of the AMA Career Launch program, specifically targeting King, Pierce, Spokane and Yakima counties. Grant resources will enhance AJAC’s ability to partner with Regional CCW Networks in each of those counties in order to expand access to manufacturing apprenticeship pathways for opportunity youth.
City of Kent – CARES Act & Port of Seattle: AJAC received two grants from the City of Kent to launch a new Manufacturing Employee Retention Program for Kent-based manufacturing companies who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. The two grants, which include federal Department of Commerce CARES Act and local Port of Seattle resources, provides up to $2,200 in employee wage reimbursements to help ensure that eligible companies can remain competitive and employees receive training in safe work conditions while offering incentives to retain existing entry-level workers, hire new workers, and/or rehire those who were furloughed.
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation: AJAC entered into a new contract with the Department of Social and Human Services’ Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) to serve youth between the ages of 16-21 with Individualized Education or 504 Plans, or other documented disabilities, in AJAC pre-apprenticeship and AMA Career Launch programs. Through this contract, AJAC plans to serve up to 125 DVR-eligible youth over a 2-year period in Work Readiness Training, Work-Based Learning, and paid Internships at partnering manufacturing companies.
