RALEIGH -- The Apprenticeship and Training Bureau, formerly a part of the N.C. Department of Labor, transitioned to the N.C. Department of Commerce on January 1.  The program combines on-the-job training with related classroom instruction to develop workers who are fully competent in their respective occupations.

Participants in the Apprenticeship Program strengthen their knowledge and skill set in a particular field and are paid while working in the program. At the end of their successful completion of the training, participants earn a North Carolina Journeyman’s certificate as well as a U.S. Department of Labor certificate.

“We welcome this job-training program and know it will continue to sharpen the skills of our workforce,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker. “The Apprenticeship Program will become a valuable part of our strategy to strengthen the state economy and close the skills gap that many industries are experiencing.”

North Carolina’s Apprenticeship and Training Bureau is a registered program of the Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services (OATELS) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA).  Since 2008, more than 12,000 individuals and 6,400 veterans have completed the job-training program, and 1,825 employers have participated in the program in North Carolina.

The apprenticeship program is now part of the N.C. Division of Workforce Solutions (DWS).  For more info about DWS, visit www.nccommerce.com/workforce.