LIFT Apprenticeship Program

READY TO RE-SKILL AND TRAIN

Best in Class Technical Talent

We have the resources to help your company design, launch, and ensure success of adult apprenticeship programs within Advanced Industry and Manufacturing sector firms including our newly released Registered Apprenticeship Employer Playbook. The playbook is intended to aid employers during the planning and development processes to establish and launch programs under the LIFT Initiative Registered Apprenticeship model. Click here to view the playbook.

Through the Labs for Industry Futures and Transformation (LIFT) Initiative grant, the LIFT Apprenticeship Program connects regional firms with program development resources to implement best-in-class registered apprenticeship program focused on Industry 4.0 and Digital Transformation enabling middle-skill and technician-level roles. Occupations within industrial maintenance, machining, robotic welding, CNC/PLC programming and more are eligible to utilize a $1.1M apprenticeship training fund managed by the South Bend - Elkhart Regional Partnership. Employers also benefit from the support of the Northern Indiana Workforce Board, serving as the intermediary sponsor to the U.S. Department of Labor, ensuring adequate program supports are provided from design through full implementation during program lifecycles.

Currently, companies have launched apprenticeship programs in Industrial Maintenance, Machine Tool Technology, Robotic Technology and Machining, and Computer Numerically Controlled Operation.

Program leads are the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership and the Northern Indiana Workforce Board. Additional partners included education training providers such as Ivy Tech Community College  South Bend – Elkhart, Purdue Polytechnic Institute South Bend, and the Recreational Vehicle Technical Institute.

ELIGIBILITY

Company Eligibility Requirements

The model of the LIFT Apprenticeship program aligns directly with the aims of the overall initiative to increase productivity, improve resilience, and increase the supply of an advanced workforce for our region’s mobility cluster companies. In order to receive apprentice education training subsidies as part of this program, employer eligibility requirements are as follows:

  • Company must be an Advanced Industry and/or Manufacturing Sector private industry firm.
  • Company must be a private industry organization located within Elkhart, Marshall, or St. Joseph County.
  • Company must register program under Northern Indiana Workforce Board (NIWB) as intermediary sponsor the U.S. Department of Labor to be eligible for LIFT Initiative funding. Should the company not decide to register program under the NIWB, the NIWB would still be willing to support the development of an apprenticeship program under the company.
  • Apprentices(s) must be full-time employees of the company.

HOW IT WORKS

About the LIFT Network Apprenticeship Program

IDENTIFY

Employers identify the specific occupational and workforce training needs for their respective company.

DESIGN

Internal company HR leads and subject matter experts customize and/or design apprenticeship training plan that meets the direct needs of the company. The LIFT Initiative provides template training plans of programs already registered through the U.S. Department of Labor.

ESTABLISH

Company designates related training provider(s) from pre-approved partner list provided by the LIFT Initiative. There is flexibility to explore additional industry-recognized training certification programs.

RECRUIT

Company identifies overall recruitment plan for apprenticeship program to select either internal full-time employers and/or external future full-time employees through hire-to-apprenticeship program efforts.

LAUNCH

Company launches program and receives subsidy between $2,500 to $5,000 from the LIFT Initiative to offset related training instruction costs for up to 3 employees at up to $5,000 per employee or a maximum of $15,000.

MONITOR

Company works with the Northern Indiana Workforce Board to monitor the success of the program. Employer engages in quarterly reporting of overall apprentice progress to the U.S. Department of Labor.

TRAINING FUND

LIFT Initiative Digital Skills Apprenticeship

The South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership is managing a $1.1 million dollar training fund to advance the training of 400 adult registered apprentices between 2021 – 2025. Employers are eligible to receive a subsidy of up to $5,000 per apprenticeship at three apprentices, which will reimburse the employer up to $15,000 to cover related training instruction from regional education providers.

State

CONTACT AND CONSIDERATIONS

Program Contact

Lisa Buchanan
Director, Education and Workforce Solutions
South Bend - Elkhart Regional Partnership
O: 574.344.4686 ext.4802 | C: 317.363.4601
lbuchanan@southbendelkhart.org

THANK YOU

To Our Partners

 

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