AUGUSTA, Maine (AP)   A Maine labor official says the federal government is giving the OK to Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s plan to direct more federal funding to job training.

Maine Department of Labor Deputy Commissioner Richard Freund told State Workforce board members this month that the U.S. Department of Labor has conditionally approved the plan. The LePage administration hasn’t released a letter describing the approval.

The GOP governor has fought to reduce what he sees as waste in Maine’s workforce training system. LePage’s plan would require Maine’s workforce boards to spend 70 percent of federal funds on job training.

Leaders of those boards say his proposal would take away money for career counseling and hurt vulnerable job seekers.

Federal law limits the boards from spending over 10 percent of funds on administrative costs.