Hamilton County - Chattanooga has been selected as one of only five Apprenticeship Innovation Districts in the country by BuildWithin, a new national apprenticeship intermediary approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. Working closely with Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly, Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson, the Benwood Foundation and Chattanooga 2.0, BuildWithin will build the capacity of Chattanooga businesses to create and grow Registered Apprenticeship and Youth Apprenticeship Programs, which provide pathways for local residents to "earn while they learn" and ultimately move into fulfilling and high-demand careers, said officials.
Establishing AIDs is part of BuildWithin’s charge as the recipient of a $7.9 million Apprenticeship Building America grant from the Department of Labor. The Apprenticeship Building America program was created to strengthen, modernize, expand and diversify the Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship Program to enable more workers to find reliable pathways to the middle class. One of the primary goals for Chattanooga as an AID is to create 100 new registered apprenticeship programs over the course of the four-year grant. Other goals include the expansion of existing apprenticeship programs in the area and the enrollment of 300+ individuals in apprenticeships per year in each AID. Hamilton County-Chattanooga will receive more than $1.5 million to establish the AID through the Department of Labor grant with local investment from Hamilton County, the city of Chattanooga, Hamilton County Schools, and the Benwood Foundation.
“Establishing Chattanooga as an Apprenticeship Innovation District will provide members of Chattanooga’s workforce, regardless of experience or background, with new career opportunities while simultaneously providing the businesses that are so important to our community with additional options for finding talent and filling open jobs,” said County Mayor Wamp. “I am proud our county is leading the state in jobs innovation.”
Chattanooga was selected as an AID due in large part to the support of community organizations, who share the goal of creating and expanding job opportunities through apprenticeship programs. Other criteria included a base of Chattanooga employers already running – or generally interested in – apprenticeship programs as well as a network of stakeholders such as schools including community foundations and workforce boards that support apprenticeship programs.
“Economic mobility is key to closing long-standing opportunity gaps in our city, but to get there, we have to create more skill-building programs that are accessible for all residents, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status,” said Mayor Kelly. “That’s why Chattanooga’s selection as an Apprenticeship Innovation District is such an important win for our future. By expanding and diversifying paid apprenticeship programs across the city, we’ll be providing hope and opportunity that may otherwise have been out of reach for hundreds of residents, furthering our One Chattanooga vision and creating a more prosperous future for all of us.”
"Creating and expanding apprenticeships within our community will not only bring additional support to the Future Ready Institutes, but also grow our local ecosystem of career-focused experiences for students as we work to make sure every student is equipped and ready for life beyond high school,” said Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson.
“It is incredibly timely that today – during National Apprenticeship Week – we get to kick off an initiative that will be a game changer for both Hamilton County- Chattanooga businesses and residents,” said Michelle Rhee, co-founder of BuildWithin and former chancellor of DC Public Schools. “Employers can no longer afford to overlook non-traditional candidates, particularly when there are over 11.5 million unfilled jobs in the U.S. As such, we are looking to work with the Hamilton County- Chattanooga community to communicate the value of apprenticeships, and prioritizing potential over credential.”