Currently funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, Midwest Urban Strategies (MUS) serves 3,500 participants in urban cities in seven midwestern states through four separate, competitive grants. As a consortium of urban Workforce Boards, MUS is uniquely positioned to expand and strengthen existing regional workforce partnerships and implement training strategies that engage multiple employers from a similar industry sector and across traditional geographic boundaries. The grants portfolio includes the American Apprenticeship Initiative, TechHire, America’s Promise Job Driven Grant Program, and the Dislocated Worker Grant.
Below are highlights of each initiative:
American Apprenticeship Initiative
- The focus is to support public-private partnerships that help expand quality and innovative apprenticeship programs into high-growth occupations and industries.
- The innovation offered by MUS partners lies in our ability organize regional employers and to share apprenticeship curricula, information processes, and policy strategies across multiple cities, counties, and states in a short period of time.
- Grant partners are targeting advanced manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, and financial services.
- Participating Workforce Boards represent the metropolitan areas of Detroit, Milwaukee, and St. Louis
H1-B TechHire Partnership Grant
- The focus is to bridge the digital skills gap across advanced industries through alternative training strategies to fill technical openings currently being filled with H1-B visa workers.
- MUS grant partners have similar workforce challenges and opportunities; each partner offers unique, innovative practices to be replicated in other cities.
- Participating Workforce Boards represent the metropolitan areas of Cincinnati, Milwaukee, and St. Louis.
America’s Promise Job Driven Grant Program
- The focus is to develop and expand regional partnerships and training opportunities, particularly for middle- to high-skilled H-1B industries and occupations.
- Grant partners are targeting 14 occupations in advanced manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, and financial services.
- Participating Workforce Boards represent the metropolitan areas of Milwaukee, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Gary, Detroit, Kansas City, and Minneapolis.
Dislocated Worker Grant
- The focus is to help workers who have been dislocated from manufacturing, financial services, and retail as a consequence of automation and technology changes. The grant will help these workers obtain new skills and credentials to help them transition into growth occupations within healthcare, transportation and logics, information technology, financial services, and advanced manufacturing.
- Participating Workforce Boards represent the metropolitan areas of Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Gary, and Wichita
