A wage reimbursement incentive has been signed into legislation

Last Thursday, Gov. Gina M. Raimondo signed into law bills which direct the Governor’s Workforce Board (GWB) to build a nontrade apprenticeship program and annually award funding to at least one new initiative on a competitive basis. Depending on annual appropriations, the bill requires the GWB to establish a wage reimbursement incentive for each non-trade, enrolled apprentice, which would allow a participating business to be reimbursed up to 50 percent of actual wages paid to the apprentice or $1,000 – whichever is less. Individual employers would be eligible to receive up $5,000 (maximum) with-in a 12-month period.

This new legislation is great news for promoting apprenticeships in nontraditional trades such as manufacturing, information technology, design and management. For more information, please review the GWB New Directions to Apprenticeship publication.