Workforce Partnerships Mean New Apprenticeships and Funding Opportunities

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Workforce development is most effective when employers have access to both a proven training model and the financial resources needed to implement it. At the Global Electronics Association, our workforce partnerships team is expanding those connections by helping electronics employers recruit, train, retain, and advance their workers through Registered Apprenticeship and industry-focused funding opportunities.

Wire Harness Assembly Apprenticeship Coming Soon

We are excited to be in the final stages of preparing and submitting our newest Registered Apprenticeship occupation: wire harness assembler.

This apprenticeship is expected to launch in late fall and will provide WHMA members and other U.S. wire harness employers with a structured pathway for training new hires and upskilling incumbent employees. Like our existing apprenticeship occupations, the program will combine employer-provided on-the-job learning with related technical instruction, industry-recognized credentials, mentoring, and administrative support from the Association.

Registered Apprenticeship can help employers reduce the time required for employees to reach proficiency, improve retention, strengthen technical skills, and develop a sustainable internal talent pipeline. The Association’s current apprenticeship offerings support electronics assemblers, PCB fabricators, and PCB designers, with the wire harness assembler occupation coming soon.

Click here to learn more or contact Cami Marcom, manager of apprenticeships and workforce programs, camimarcom@electronics.org.

Workforce Partnerships Expanding in Central Texas

Our presence and partnerships also continue to expand in Central Texas. Through our collaboration with Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area, funding is available to cover related technical instruction costs for eligible employers located within the workforce board’s service counties and using the Association’s Registered Apprenticeship Program.

These funds can make it easier for employers to implement structured training without carrying the full cost of technical instruction. However, funding is limited, and interested employers should begin the conversation as soon as possible.

Major Milestone for California Apprenticeship

California continues to be an important area of growth for the Global Electronics Association. After a lengthy approval process, our Apprenticeship Standards have now been approved by the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards.

This milestone allows us to offer our apprenticeship program to California-based electronics employers with formal state support. We are proud of this accomplishment and look forward to helping California employers use our registered apprenticeship program to develop skilled workers, strengthen retention, and create pathways for employees to advance within the electronics manufacturing industry.

California Training Funds Now Available

California employers do not have to wait to access workforce support. The Association has a limited pool of training reimbursement funds available through its approved California Employment Training Panel Multiple Employer Contract. The message for California employers is simple: Bring us your training needs, and we will help you leverage ETP support.

Eligible electronics employers may receive support for our approved workforce training for California-based employees. Participating companies can select virtual, self-paced, and instructor-led courses, including role-specific training for PCB assembly operators, engineers, technicians, inspectors, and wire harness assemblers. Employees must complete at least eight hours of eligible training, with reimbursement tied to training completion and employee retention requirements.

Most importantly, the Association handles the administrative lift. We help employers assess eligibility, select appropriate courses, enroll trainees, manage documentation, and understand the program’s completion and retention requirements.

Early adopters include Circuit Assembly, Fluid Power AI, and VAS Engineering. Dennis Crook of Circuit Assembly highlighted the value of both affordability and flexibility: “There are two things that stand out to me: the lower cost for IPC training opportunities and the online training. This gives us the ability to break up that training into small, weekly time frames so it doesn’t cause any significant work disruption.”

Efren Zepeda of Fluid Power AI similarly emphasized the accessibility of the training and the support provided throughout the process: “One of the things I’ve appreciated most about the ETP opportunity is how straightforward and accessible the online training has been. The support throughout the process has been responsive and helpful whenever questions have come up. Overall, it’s been a practical and efficient program that lowers the barrier to participation while providing the necessary resources for success.”

Diana Diaz of VAS Engineering described the combination of savings, flexibility, and responsive support that made participation an easy choice: “The cost savings, online flexibility, and support we received made the ETP opportunity an easy decision for us. One more thing worth mentioning: Whenever we have a question, we get a quick answer.”

Together, these experiences demonstrate that ETP is not simply a source of reimbursement. It is a practical workforce solution that can help employers control training costs, limit operational disruption, and provide employees with meaningful opportunities to build industry-relevant skills.

We are actively accepting additional employers while funding remains available. The opportunity is open to members and non-members, and funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Employers that can identify trainees and begin training quickly will be best positioned to participate.

Employers do not need to independently navigate the complexities of ETP. Our team provides a guided, employer-focused process designed to make training reimbursement as accessible and manageable as possible.

California employers can learn more here.

A National Opportunity for the Semiconductor Sector

Finally, the Association is proud to partner with Jobs for the Future through a major new U.S. Department of Labor initiative to expand Registered Apprenticeship nationwide.

JFF was selected to receive a $40 million, four-year Pay-for-Performance award supporting apprenticeship growth in occupations that build and sustain AI, semiconductor, and nuclear-energy infrastructure. We are one of eight industries and apprenticeship partners participating in the national effort.

Through this partnership, we anticipate opening new opportunities for employers in the semiconductor sector to use Registered Apprenticeship to recruit, train, and retain skilled workers. Performance-based support will help move employers from interest to implementation while rewarding measurable outcomes as apprentices are hired, retained, and progress through their programs.

Additional information will be shared in the coming months. Semiconductor employers interested in apprenticeships should stay tuned and begin considering where structured, earn-and-learn pathways could support their current and future workforce needs.

Victora Hawkins, M.A.Ed., is director of workforce funding and partnerships at the Global Electronics Association.