President Obama spoke at a community in college in Pennsylvania on Wednesday to unveil a job training and placement initiative for young workers. Obama pledged $500 million to colleges that help students find jobs and another $100 million for apprenticeship grants.

President Obama: “We want a seamless progression from community college programs to industry-recognized credentials and credit towards a college degree. And today I’m announcing that we are going to award nearly $500 million to those institutions who are doing it best in all 50 states, using existing money to create opportunity for hard-working folks like you. That’s good. Second, and this is related, we are launching a $100 million competition for what we are calling American Apprenticeship Grants. Now these are awards that are going to expand the kinds of apprenticeships that help young people and experienced workers get on a path towards advancement, towards better jobs, better pay, a trajectory upwards in their careers.”