U.S. Department of Labor Awards UnidosUS $4 Million in Grants to Build Pre-Apprenticeships Leading to Registered Apprenticeships

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Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, UnidosUS, Fresh Start Women’s Foundation and East Valley Institute of Technology held a roundtable discussion in Phoenix, Arizona, on expanding pathways to Good Jobs for women, young people and Latinx workers. 

Washington, D.C. – UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, was recently awarded a $4 million Apprenticeship Building America, Round 2 (ABA2) grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA). Through UnidosUS’s Éxito de Latinos Educated Via Apprenticeships (ELEVA) program, which seeks to advance Latinos in careers that offer family-sustaining wages and economic mobility, the grant will support efforts to build pre-apprenticeships leading to Registered Apprenticeships in the energy, hospitality and advanced manufacturing sectors in Phoenix, Chicago and Atlanta. 

In a roundtable discussion held last week in Phoenix, U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, alongside UnidosUS, Fresh Start Women’s Foundation and East Valley Institute of Technology, highlighted the importance of these grants and programs that help expand pathways to Good Jobs for women, young people and Latinx workers, which ultimately help improve local communities seeking to enable greater economic mobility. “So often, Latino workers have been in jobs that have not always been the best jobs in the community, so we need to create different outcomes there too,” said Acting Secretary Su. “The Biden-Harris administration has created a moment to build, not just our physical infrastructure, but ‘opportunity infrastructure’ that connects workers, especially those who have historically been left behind to jobs – and not just to any job, but good jobs.” 

UnidosUS’s ELEVA program anticipates enrolling 753 participants in a pre-apprenticeship program with an 85% completion rate and 320 participants transitioning into Registered Apprenticeships. In total, this award will enable the creation of one Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP), the expansion of eight RAPs and the creation of six pre-apprenticeship programs. UnidosUS was one of 43 awardees of the ABA2 grant opportunity and the only awardee located in the District of Columbia.   

“UnidosUS is elated to receive this award from the Department of Labor and grateful to be able to do this in partnership with our amazing employer and nonprofit partners,” said Luis Quiñones, Deputy Vice President for Adult Education & Workforce Development at UnidosUS. “ELEVA is the natural progression of the work UnidosUS has been leading around Registered Apprenticeships for the last 3 years. We started with a project to build equity and inclusion that focused on awareness building, and we are now transitioning into community action by deploying this program, which elevates Latinx talent into emerging sectors and creates a platform for Latino families to upskill, reskill and connect with jobs that have traditionally not been for us.” 

In addition, over the next four years, UnidosUS will be partnering with the following organizations to operationalize ELEVA:  

  • Fresh Start Women’s Foundation (Phoenix, AZ) will partner with the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) and MasTec to create a RAP pathway to careers in clean energy, and with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to target advanced manufacturing, specifically, semiconductor technician apprenticeships.  
  • Association House of Chicago (Chicago, IL) will partner with CEWD to offer clean energy opportunities and UNITE HERE Chicago Hospitality Institute to create a RAP pathway to careers in the hospitality sector. 
  • Latin American Association (Atlanta, GA) will partner will CEWD, Centuri and Southern Company to create pathways to careers in clean energy.  

“Access to apprenticeships in the renewable energy and semiconductor sectors in Arizona is a game-changer for the women Fresh Start serves, providing life-changing career pathways and opportunities,” said CEO and President of Fresh Start Women’s Foundation Kim McWaters. “Apprenticeships are more than just training, they provide in-demand job skills, experience and can grow the confidence women need to not only achieve self-sufficiency but thrive. For mothers, these apprenticeships represent a unique opportunity to secure stable, well-paying jobs that can support their families and provide a brighter future for their children. We are grateful to the US Department of Labor and thrilled to partner with UnidosUS as a sub-grantee of the Apprenticeship Building America Grant. Together we can open doors, break down barriers and pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive future for women and children in our community.” 

“For 125 years, Association House has offered workforce training programs to unlock economic advancement for individuals pursuing life-changing opportunities,” said Juan Carlos Linares, President & CEO of Association House in Chicago. “By expanding pre-apprenticeship pathways in a community setting, we ensure our participants’ equitable access to high-quality jobs, including for opportunity youth and returning citizens. In particular, today’s investment will rapidly scale Association House’s Culinary and Clean Energy pathways and further support our mission of re-investing in our communities affected by systemic barriers.” 

“We are thrilled to collaborate with UnidosUS on the ELEVA project. This initiative empowers our Latino community in Atlanta by providing vital training and apprenticeship opportunities in the growing energy and renewable energy sector,” said Santiago Marquez, CEO of the Latin American Association. “By partnering with our longtime supporter Georgia Power, we are creating pathways to high-quality jobs and long-term career growth. Together, we are paving the way for economic mobility and sustainable career paths, fostering economic empowerment and positively impacting the lives of our participants.” 

The Department of Labor’s ABA2 grant is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda, which is rebuilding the middle class and increasing opportunities for underrepresented populations to enter in-demand occupations and careers that offer family-supporting wages. In fact, recently, UnidosUS released a first-of-its-kind economic report — the largest assessment of economic data on Hispanic families since the pandemic — which specifically highlights “how public dollars can catalyze the development of regional career pathways benefiting Hispanic workers.” It notes the Biden-Harris administration’s successful investments around this effort, such as the $500 million Good Jobs Challenge funded through the American Rescue Plan, and the development of future programs through the Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and CHIPS Act.