NEWS

23 Jan 2025
US Department of Labor announces $17M funding opportunity to support services for homeless veterans, those at risk
13 Jan 2025
US Department of Labor announces $25M in available funding to support pre-release training, employment services to incarcerated people
07 Jan 2025
Iowa governor announces $3.4 million apprenticeship grants for teacher development
30 Dec 2024
First registered apprenticeship program for early childhood education in Eastern KY

UPCOMING EVENTS

22 May 2025
Office Hours webinar, Workforce System Alignment with Registered Apprenticeship: Promising Practices for State and Local Boards
Virtual

Office Hours - Workforce System Alignment with Registered Apprenticeship: Promising Practices for State and Local Boards

Office Hours - Workforce System Alignment with Registered Apprenticeship: Promising Practices for State and Local Boards

The Center of Excellence will host the Office Hours - Workforce System Alignment with Registered Apprenticeship: Promising Practices for State and Local Boards, on May 22nd from 2:00pm - 3:00pm ET.

This webinar is a follow-up to the Center of Excellence’s April 25th webinar, where the Center of Excellence, Center Subject Matter Expert, Alan Dodkowitz, provided a deep dive into understanding Registered Apprenticeship (RA) and workforce system alignment, the knowledge gaps that exist, and an analysis of how states are aligning their Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) state plans with RA.

In this previous webinar, James Disbro, Senior Director of Regional Alignment and Programs Development for CareerSource Suncoast, and Brandon Butler, Executive Director of the Maryland Workforce Association, discussed Florida's and Maryland's apprenticeship expansion efforts. Mr. Disbro focused on elements of integration such as a Local Workforce Development Board serving as a RA program sponsor, collaboration with U.S. Department of Labor intermediaries, ways to increase RA programs within the area, engagement with post-secondary institutions, and funding opportunities to support RA. Mr. Butler spoke about Maryland’s approach to RA, challenges faced in implementing apprenticeship programs, and Maryland’s overall RA strategy.

Register here

22 Jul 2025
ACCE conference 2025
Philadelphia, PA

Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives Conference 2025

Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives Conference 2025

The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) serves more than 9,000 leaders from 1,300 chambers of commerce. Hundreds of other businesses and organizations are also ACCE members. The combined membership of ACCE chambers in the U.S. exceeds 1.2 million businesses. Members look to ACCE for best practices, industry trends, corporate partners, networking, resources, and new ideas to advance the interests of their communities.

This year's ACCE Conference will be held in Philadelphia focusing on industry’s efforts to create stronger economies and communities by:

  • - Looking beyond the present to identify early signals that could evolve into trends that impact businesses and communities,

  • - Gaining inspiration and insights about industry trends and best practices, and

  • - Harnessing your chamber's enduring role and leveraging its influence to take risks and forge and bolder future.

Join the Center of Excellence at our exhibit booth to speak directly with our Registered Apprenticeship subject matter experts about how your Chamber of Commerce can help create a talent pipeline through apprenticeship.

Register Here

PAST EVENTS

May 12

Minneapolis, MN

NYEC 2025 Annual Forum

National Youth Employment Coalition 2025 Annual Forum

The National Youth Employment Coalition is the nation’s leading youth workforce development forum. This conference unites youth practitioners, policymakers, youth leaders, and stakeholders dedicated to improving the lives of youth and young adults. The Forum creates a collaborative space to share best practices, innovative ideas, advocacy strategies, and practical solutions to common challenges. The Forum works across geographies and sectors to empower each other in their mission to connect youth and young adults to workforce and educational opportunities.

Center Subject Matter Expert, Alan Dodkowitz, hosted an interactive workshop, Building a School to Apprenticeship Pipeline for Opportunity Youth, on May 12th. Attendees heard about how to establish Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs, conduct effective outreach to Opportunity Youth, and gain practical tools to bridge social services and the education system with the apprenticeship system. Attendees learned how youth’s engagement in RA can improve WIOA grantees’ performance metrics and funding utilization. 

Link to PPT

NYEC Forum
May 05

Virginia Beach, VA

NAWDP 41st Annual Conference

National Association of Workforce Development Professionals 41st Annual Conference

NAWDP’s 41st Annual Conference brought together thought leaders and professionals from across various workforce development organizations such as workforce boards, community colleges, private sector business, vocational rehabilitation, economic development, community- and faith-based organizations. On Wednesday, May 6th, Center Project Director and Registered Apprenticeship (RA) Subject Matter Expert (SME), Katie Adams, and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) SME, Melissa Aguilar-Southard, hosted the workshop, Aligning Workforce and Registered Apprenticeship: Key Components for Success. This interactive workshop focused on the crucial partnership between the workforce system under WIOA and RA system, demonstrating how state boards and local boards are implementing RA through virtual and physical service delivery to job seekers and employers. This workshop explored key components for aligning and integrating RA programs into local workforce systems and the benefits of this alignment, leading to improved WIOA compliance and performance metrics. Attendees engaged in peer sharing and action planning, working in small groups to develop practical implementation plans for each component. Safal SMEs also provided on-site assessment of WIOA grantees’ compliance and related-RA utilization.  

Register Here

NAWDP Conference
Apr 30

Hershey, PA

PA Workforce Development Association 41st Annual Conference

PA Workforce Development Association 41st Annual Conference

The Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association (PWDA) serves as the voice of the Pennsylvania workforce development system and a clearinghouse for workforce development information statewide. They provide development and capacity building opportunities to workforce development professionals, local workforce development boards (WDBs), and other stakeholders while continuing proactive advocacy efforts on behalf of Pennsylvania’s workforce development system. 

Safal Partners' Apprenticeship Senior Subject Matter Expert, Alan Dodkowitz, presented, "Career and Technical Education and Registered Apprenticeship (RA) for Pennsylvania." This session explored strategies for aligning RA with CTE pathways, ensuring that students gain hands-on work experience while gaining the necessary related instruction. Attendees learned how leveraging RA can enhance CTE programs by providing students with structured career pathways and heard best practices for building partnerships between educational institutions, workforce agencies, and employers to create seamless RA pipelines. 

Link to PPT

PWDA 41st Conference
Apr 29

Costa Mesa, CA

California Workforce Association WORKCON 2025

California Workforce Association WORKCON 2025

WORKCON 2025, hosted and designed by the California Workforce Association (CWA), showcased innovative and strategic collaborations, partnerships, programs, ideas, and principles that highlighted the remarkable work of California's Workforce Development Boards, Community-Based Organizations, Educational entities, WIOA partners, and all those who are invested in the success of their local communities and the people who live in them. 

Center SMEs Katie Adams and Melissa Aguilar-Southard hosted an interactive workshop on “Aligning Workforce and Registered Apprenticeship: Key Components for Success.” Participants learned about the key components of workforce system alignment with Registered Apprenticeship (RA), the benefits of aligning workforce systems with RA programs, and practical strategies and actionable ideas to build or strengthen workforce system integration with RA. 

Link to PPT

WORKCON 2025