Connecticut has been awarded a $5 million federal grant to expand apprenticeship programs in high-growth industries, with a focus on training for the manufacturing, healthcare and business services sectors.

Administered by the Connecticut Department of Labor, the funding comes as part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s American Apprenticeship Initiative, which include a total of $175 million nationwide for apprenticeship programs.

The grant will fund the department’s Connecticut American Apprenticeship Initiative, including assistance with tuition and training costs for 1,000 registered apprentices and 500 pre-apprentices statewide in the high-demand industries of advanced manufacturing, healthcare and business services.

“As our economy continues to grow, so does the demand for skilled workers to fill new jobs,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said in a statement. “We not only need to attract new companies – which we’re doing each and every day – but we need to ensure that training is aligned with the needs of those companies. We have one of the most educated workforces in the country – and we need to keep it that way. I thank the U.S. Department of Labor and Secretary Tom Perez for this grant which will help us to continue our progress in bringing down the unemployment rate by helping companies create good jobs as we prepare residents with the requisite skills.”