PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island received a three-year, $500,000 STEM apprenticeship grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the R.I. Department of Education announced Tuesday.
STEM stands for science, engineering, technology and math. The funds will be used to support the launch of the Rhode Island Youth Apprenticeship Program, which would begin with senior-year high school students. The program aims to have more than 100 students in apprenticeship positions in cybersecurity and data analysis by 2022.
The lead employer to start the program will be CVS Health Corp. The lead primary instruction provider will be the Community College of Rhode Island. CCRI is expected to recruit at least two more employers to the apprenticeship program over the life of the grant.
As part of the program, apprentices will be assigned mentors to support the participant’s advancement. Students will have the opportunity to complete their high school diploma in the program, earn a Certificate of Apprenticeship Completion and up to 18 college credits from CCRI through its Running Start program at no cost to students or their families.
The program is scheduled to start in the fall of 2019. The first cohort is projected to include 20 to 25 students.
“By 2024, Rhode Island employers will need to fill an estimated 9,000 openings in STEM careers. This is a growing industry in our state, and we need to make sure that employers have the talented workforce they need to be successful,” said Gov. Gina M. Raimondo in a statement Tuesday. “This apprenticeship program, like the PrepareRI Internship Program, gives students hands-on learning opportunities and work experience they need to get a jump-start on their future and compete for these jobs of tomorrow.”
Rhode Island was one of six states receiving the STEM apprenticeship grant this year.
RIDE noted that companies that wish to participate in the program with CCRI should contact Tekla Moquin, executive director of workforce partnerships at CCRI.
