On January 21, 2021, Clark University in Worcester, MA, was awarded a $10 million apprenticeship grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) to help provide workforce training for jobs in industries that are currently in demand, such as information technology (IT), manufacturing, and transportation.

An unfortunate reality of today’s job market is that IT workers are in short supply while millions of people are underemployed or unemployed. Tech apprenticeship programs offer an effective—and mutually beneficial—approach to bridging the gap between employers and IT job seekers, according to a new LinkedIn article by Public Consulting Group’s (PCG’s) Uri Shatten.

It’s an exciting time for innovation in public sector technology. With a change in orientation toward consumer experience, there are many new vendors and products emerging in the marketplace. Historically, this has been a risk-averse industry, with an inclination toward standing with the old guard; recently, however, there have been a number of unexpected contract awards that have the state and local environment buzzing.

Clark University has been awarded a $12 million apprenticeship grant from the Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration to provide business technology training nationwide to people struggling with unemployment and underemployment, and to those who seek to master relevant technology skills in an evolving workplace.