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September 18, 2015 11:35 AM, EDT

The Department of Labor has issued a five-year, $4.6 million grant to the Teamsters union to establish apprenticeship programs to train more than 1,000 entry-level workers and transitioning members of the military to become professional truck drivers and also to improve the skills of dockworkers.

The grant is part of a $175 million��Labor Department��program to train thousands of workers in a number of fields��— including transportation��— that the department said are critical to the U.S. economy and facing shortages of qualified workers.

The��department said the goal of the Teamsters grant program is designed specifically to fill the skills gap resulting from the national truck driver shortage.

“The program will accomplish this by providing CDL training to transitioning military personnel and other underserved populations as well as incumbent workers in the transportation industry,” said a��Labor Department��program abstract document describing the grant.

The grant stipulates that lead applicants must qualify as 501(c)5 nonprofit organizations and have partners, including at least three employers from ABC Moving Services, ABF Freight, DiSilva Transportation and National Retail Systems Inc.

In addition to creating certified apprenticeship programs, the grant funding must be used to develop qualified instructors and provide training to recent high school graduates, incumbent Teamster members who are transitioning from nondriving transportation jobs to jobs that require Class A or Class B commercial driver licenses, and military personnel who are transitioning to civilian life, the Teamsters said in a statement.

“Many young people just starting their careers need professional training and guidance��— both of which will be available through the qualified Teamster instructors who will implement the program,” Lamont Byrd, director of the Teamsters' safety and health department, said in a statement.