Pennsylvania OVR training programs are run by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, part of the Department of Labor & Industry, which helps eligible Pennsylvanians with disabilities prepare for, get, keep, or advance in a job, including through training for a new career. Ink Different is an approved vocational rehab provider in Pennsylvania, so if becoming a Tattoo Artist is the goal in your OVR plan, you can ask your counselor about training with us.

This guide covers what OVR does, who qualifies, how to apply, and how a tattoo apprenticeship fits into an OVR plan. It also covers what our team does to support your request.

What is Pennsylvania OVR?

The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) is Pennsylvania’s vocational rehab agency, run by the Department of Labor & Industry. According to the state, OVR counselors help people with disabilities get, keep, or advance in a job through services like vocational guidance and counseling, goal setting, and Individualized Plans for Employment.

OVR is funded by the federal government and the state working together. Pennsylvania says most of its vocational rehab funding comes through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, with the rest covered by the state.

The state lists 21 OVR district offices, plus a central office in Harrisburg. If your primary disability is vision loss, L&I’s Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services handles your vocational rehab services instead.

Who qualifies for Pennsylvania OVR support?

OVR serves people with disabilities that present a substantial impediment to their employment. A vocational rehab counselor decides eligibility after getting a full picture of your abilities, limitations, interests, and aptitudes.

To make that call, your counselor looks at medical records, staff observations, and your own self-evaluation. You don’t need art experience or any particular work history to apply.

There are two things worth knowing before you start:

• Order of Selection: Pennsylvania says OVR doesn’t have the resources to serve everyone who’s eligible, so it uses an Order of Selection to set priority. Ask at intake whether there’s a waitlist.
• Financial Needs Test: OVR has a Financial Needs Test, and the state notes that Social Security disability beneficiaries are exempt from it. Ask your counselor how it applies to you.

Can OVR help fund a tattoo apprenticeship?

It can, but nothing is automatic. OVR may help support tattoo training when becoming a Tattoo Artist is the goal in your employment plan and your counselor approves it.

Here’s what OVR can offer. The state’s list of services includes training such as vocational and technical training and on-the-job training, plus tools, equipment, or licenses needed for a job. What your plan actually covers is worked out with your counselor.

Here’s what’s confirmed for us: Ink Different is an approved vocational rehab provider in Pennsylvania. You can tell your counselor you’d like to train with Ink Different, and our team will work with them on anything they need from us.

What isn’t decided up front is whether OVR will fund your specific plan. That depends on your eligibility, your goal, your counselor’s judgment, and possibly OVR’s Financial Needs Test.

Pro Tip: Walk into your OVR meeting with a specific goal. “I want to complete a tattoo apprenticeship and become a licensed Tattoo Artist” gives your counselor much more to work with than “I want to do something creative.”

Why is tattooing a smart career path to pursue with OVR?

Tattooing is a skilled trade with a clear training path and a clear outcome: working as a licensed Tattoo Artist. That’s exactly what a vocational rehab goal needs to be.

No college trains Tattoo Artists. You learn the craft through a tattoo apprenticeship, because working safely on real skin takes long-term, hands-on mentorship. That gives your counselor a defined training route, a defined length, and a path to licensing.

It’s also work built on people. Every tattoo starts with a conversation and a client who trusts you, which a machine can’t do. That’s why tattoo artists are still essential in an age of automation. And if you’ve been weighing college, see how tattoo apprenticeships are gaining ground as a solid alternative to college.

How do you apply for OVR and connect it to training?

You start with a referral to your local OVR district office. After you’re found eligible, you build an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) with your counselor that names tattooing as your goal.

Step one: Contact OVR. Pennsylvania says you can call your local district office or apply in person, or apply online through PA CareerLink. Find your office in the OVR Office Directory, and check the state’s list of what to have ready before you apply.

Step two: Start your application. Once your referral reaches the district office, the state says an OVR representative will contact you within 10 days to start your application.

Step three: Get your eligibility decision. Your counselor reviews your records and talks with you about your goals. Under federal rules, agencies generally have 60 days from your application to decide, unless you both agree to extend it.

Step four: Build your IPE. Pennsylvania describes the IPE as a plan designed by you and your OVR counselor. Federally, it generally has to be finished within 90 days of your eligibility decision. This is where you name becoming a Tattoo Artist as your goal.

Step five: Tell your counselor about Ink Different. Let your counselor know you’d like to train with Ink Different, an approved vocational rehab provider in Pennsylvania. Our team provides the paperwork counselors usually ask for: a signed vocational rehab agreement, our course book, and an enrollment agreement. We can also email your counselor directly to answer their questions.

Step six: Start once it’s authorized. Wait until your plan is signed and the training is approved in writing before you enroll or pay for anything you expect OVR to cover.

If you have questions about OVR services or disagree with a decision, Pennsylvania lists CAP, a free support and advocacy service that’s separate from OVR.

How does Ink Different support your journey?

Ink Different’s Traditional Tattoo Apprenticeship takes 18 to 24 months across four phases. It trains beginners into working Tattoo Artists, with licensing support and a guaranteed job offer when you finish.

We’ve been training new Tattoo Artists since 2011, with 60+ locations nationwide. You don’t need any prior art experience.

• Four phases: You build skills in order, from drawing and design fundamentals to machine handling to supervised work on real clients.
• Hands-on mentorship: You train with Mentors who are professional Tattoo Artists inside working tattoo studios.
• Safety first: Training covers bloodborne pathogen safety based on OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens standard.
• Licensing support: We help you work toward meeting your state’s licensing requirements.

Before you begin, review the mistakes aspiring tattoo apprentices should avoid so you start strong. You’ll also learn the safety fundamentals that matter, including OSHA bloodborne pathogen standards, which are non-negotiable in any professional Tattoo Shop.

A career that comes with confidence

By the time you finish, you’ll have working skills, a path to licensing, and a guaranteed job offer. You’ll walk into a tattoo studio knowing what you’re doing and why.

What is the Master Mentorship option?

The Master Mentorship is Ink Different’s one-year, in-person intensive for experienced Tattoo Artists who want to master a specific style, grow their brand, and build toward owning a tattoo studio.

You train directly with celebrity and award-winning Master Mentors, including Al Fliction, Liz Cook, Kyle Dunbar, Boneface, and Jordi Pla.

How does Ink Different make training accessible?

With 60+ locations nationwide, Ink Different makes tattoo training easier to reach. We also have Spanish-speaking locations in Denver, Orange County, NYC, Miami, San Antonio, and San Diego, so language doesn’t have to stand between you and a new career.

You also join our “Good Humans” community, a crew of Mentors and fellow tattoo apprentices who support each other from day one.

Remember: Seats in a quality tattoo apprenticeship are limited because real mentorship takes time and attention. The best time to claim yours is before someone else does.

Ready to Become a Tattoo Artist?

If you live in Pennsylvania and you’re interested in tattooing, OVR is worth a call. Ink Different is an approved vocational rehab provider in Pennsylvania, and our team can work directly with your counselor on the paperwork.

If you’re weighing a bigger move, explore what a career change tattoo apprenticeship can look like.

Want to talk through funding first? Call an advisor at 855 600 4465. We’ll walk you through what your OVR counselor needs from us. Ready to go? Apply now to Ink Different’s Traditional Tattoo Apprenticeship, or fill out our quick questionnaire for personalized support.