WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that Registered Apprenticeship sponsors can begin applying for direct payments of up to $6,000 per apprentice through the Pay-for-Performance Incentive Payments Program. The opening of applications follows President Trump’s announcement on Friday in Daytona Beach, Florida, of the department’s $40 million investment, led by the Florida Department of Commerce, to expand Registered Apprenticeships in shipbuilding and the defense industrial base, which is projected to lead to nearly 10,000 new apprentices over the next four years. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until all available funds have been obligated. To date, the department has