The U.S. Department of Labor on Friday announced that Iowa has been awarded a $1.8 million grant to increase access to registered apprenticeship programs in the state. The award is part of more than $50 million awarded to states to increase apprenticeships in diverse industries that include health care, advanced manufacturing and information technology. Projects will also expand apprenticeships to diverse populations, focusing on women, minorities and other underrepresented groups that have often been left out of apprenticeship efforts in the past, Iowa Workforce Development said in a release. IWD plans to hire an apprenticeship coordinator to help align education, workforce and business efforts to achieve the goal of doubling the number of registered apprentices in Iowa over the next five years. Read a related story about registered apprenticeships onBusinessRecord.com.