In many states, various industry credentials are either required or suggested. I "think" funding comes from some of these and funding is included to support students achieving those credentials. In Tenn, AWS SENSE or AWS certified Welder are both listed. 

Here is an example of information on the Tennessee DOE Website. https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/ccte/adv-manu/cte_sic_advmanu_AWS.pdf