Launching or expanding an apprenticeship program requires upfront capital—equipment, curriculum development, dedicated staff, and recruitment efforts all cost money before the first apprentice even enrolls. Florida's Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant (PCOG) program addresses this challenge directly, dedicating $20 million in FY2024-2025 specifically to help organizations establish or grow registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships.
Here's what you need to know about accessing these funds and maximizing their impact.
PCOG Program Basics
Florida launched the PCOG in 2019 and has continued investing in it annually, signaling sustained state commitment to apprenticeship expansion. The FY2024-2025 allocation of $20 million represents a bump up from prior years, part of the state's broader "Focus on Florida's Future" budget that dedicated $853 million to workforce programs overall.
These competitive grants are available to high schools, career technical centers, Florida College System institutions, and other authorized apprenticeship sponsors looking to start new programs or expand existing ones. Award amounts vary based on program scope—a community college might receive $300,000 to develop an advanced manufacturing apprenticeship, while a school district could secure $500,000 to expand a pre-apprenticeship in building trades.
The Teacher Apprenticeship Opportunity
Florida has set aside an additional $5 million specifically for the "Grow Your Own" Teacher Apprenticeship Program, positioning the state as a national leader in applying the apprenticeship model to address teacher shortages.
This innovative approach creates registered apprenticeship pathways into teaching, where apprentices work as paraprofessionals while studying to become certified teachers. It's a practical solution that lets aspiring educators earn income while completing their certification requirements—and gives school districts a structured pipeline for developing homegrown talent.
What PCOG Funds Can Cover
Grant recipients can use PCOG funds for the core expenses involved in building quality apprenticeship programs:
Curriculum development to create or adapt training materials that meet industry standards. Instructor salaries to bring in qualified teachers or free up existing staff time. Equipment purchases to ensure apprentices train on industry-relevant tools and technology. Apprentice recruitment to build awareness and attract qualified candidates to new programs.
Many of the initial PCOG grantees from 2019-2020 have now established programs, so the Florida Department of Education is increasingly funding expansions and new ideas. Healthcare, IT, and advanced manufacturing apprenticeships have been particularly popular focus areas.
Stacking PCOG with Other Funding Sources
One of PCOG's most powerful applications is as a seed fund within a broader funding strategy. Florida agencies actively encourage "braiding" multiple funding streams on different budget lines of a single project.
Consider a manufacturing apprenticeship at a state college: The college wins a PCOG grant to buy equipment and hire a program coordinator. The apprentices are dual-enrolled high school seniors who receive free tuition through state education funding. The employer gets WIOA On-the-Job Training wage subsidies from their local CareerSource board for apprentices who qualify. Once those students graduate high school, they continue postsecondary training using Pell Grants while working. Meanwhile, the school district earns bonus funds when youth earn industry certifications during the apprenticeship.
Another effective combination: using both Perkins V and PCOG funds to develop a new apprenticeship, with Perkins funding ongoing instructional needs after the PCOG seeding.
The critical compliance point is maintaining clear documentation so expenses aren't covered twice by two funding sources. Florida's auditing will verify this, but the state allows mixing different funds across different budget lines within the same project.
For teams layering PCOG with other funds, get tailored support on strategy and documentation.
Meeting Outcome Reporting Requirements
PCOG grant recipients must report on outcomes including the number of apprentices enrolled. Beyond grant-specific requirements, Florida is aligning its state systems so apprentice outcomes can be tracked comprehensively—the state DOE and Department of Commerce are collaborating on data systems, and Florida now highlights apprentice completion wages in its accountability system.
This emphasis on outcome tracking means grant recipients need reliable systems for monitoring OJT hours, RTI completions, and program metrics. A centralized apprenticeship data management platform like Craft—which is free for organizations running registered apprenticeships—can simplify this reporting with built-in compliance tools and real-time dashboards designed for WIOA and DOL requirements.
Taking the Next Step
Florida's continued PCOG investment reflects the state's recognition that apprenticeships work—but only when organizations have the resources to launch and sustain quality programs. Whether you're starting your first apprenticeship or scaling an established model, PCOG offers dedicated funding to make it happen.
For comprehensive details on PCOG, Florida's other apprenticeship funding streams, and strategies for braiding multiple sources together, download the complete Apprenticeship Funding Guide.
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