State Apprenticeship Expansion (SAE) 2026

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Workforce Development (LEO-WD) is issuing a Request for Proposals for State Apprenticeship Expansion 2026 (SAE 2026). The SAE 2026 grant program supports the expansion of United States Department of Labor (USDOL) Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) opportunities in non-infrastructure occupations across Michigan. SAE 2026 will provide access to life-changing career pathways by growing the number of productive partners, extending RAP benefits to more Michigan residents, and increasing the number of skilled workers who earn while they learn and achieve a post-secondary credential upon program completion, with an overall target of enrolling 455 new Registered Apprentices.

Registered Apprenticeship Programs may be sponsored by individual employers, joint sponsors, labor groups, and/or employer associations.

Eligible projects must develop new or expand existing USDOL RAPs during the grant period of performance (March 1, 2026, through September 30, 2026) within identified high-demand industry sectors: Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chain, Educational Services, Health and Human Services, and Information Technology.

Applicants must complete and submit proposals using the provided SAE 2026 Proposal Template before the deadline of Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Awards are scheduled to be announced by March 24, 2026. Inquiries regarding this opportunity may be emailed to LEO-Apprenticeship@michigan.gov.