Center of Excellence Subject Matter Experts presented at the NYEC 2024 Annual Forum about how the Investing in America Agenda represents a historic commitment to workforce development with hundreds of billions of dollars earmarked for our nation's infrastructure, semiconductor industry, and renewable energy sector over the coming years.

How will these jobs be filled? What opportunities exist to utilize Registered and Youth Apprenticeship programs to train workers and assist Opportunity Youth? What specific funds from the Investing in America Agenda can be utilized to support apprenticeship and Opportunity Youth?

This substantial investment will necessitate the training of millions of new workers in innovative industries to fill these roles. This presentation goes over core elements of the Investing in America Agenda, what opportunities exist related to how states can utilize funding opportunities to support RA and how organizations can collaborate to support the implementation of the Agenda while also supporting Opportunity Youth.

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This report by the National Skills Coalition articulates the imperative for establishing a racially inclusive workforce through comprehensive training and advocates for the implementation of both state and federal workforce development policies to advance racial equity in educational attainment, employment, and income. The United States of America boasts a distinctive strength in its ethnic and racial diversity among residents. Nevertheless, disparities persist for Black, Latinx, Pacific Islander, Native, and specific Asian American workers in areas such as educational attainment, employment, and income. This report suggests policies such as investing in apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship to address decades of intentional, structurally racist policies.

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WorkforceGPS has compiled resources for quality pre-apprenticeship programs that lead to Registered Apprenticeship. Pre-apprenticeships not only build the basic literacy, math, and work-readiness skills today’s employers require, but also provide pre-screened, qualified, and job-ready apprentice pools. Join WorkforceGPS to access these key resources.

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Building and maintaining a highly skilled and diverse construction workforce is imperative. To help foster this understanding, the Aspen Institute’s Workforce Strategies Initiative (WSI) investigated how pre-apprenticeship programs are used to train low-income and disadvantaged adults for careers in construction. The following research interviewed 25 leaders of promising and innovative pre-apprenticeship programs across the country to explore factors that impact how programs are designed and to identify policies that constrain and support their efforts. Above all, they found that pre-apprenticeship programs play a significant role in developing a skilled and diverse construction workforce.

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This document by The Aspen Institute provides findings on how construction pre-apprenticeships programs connect low-income adults to construction careers and help construction employers find the diverse, skilled workforce needed to be successful. The report also outlines working within the construction industry, the value pre-apprenticeship programs provide, as well as policy recommendations for workforce development leaders.

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The National Skills Coalition gives an overview of work-based learning and discusses how childcare and pre-apprenticeship have a role in expanding and completing apprenticeship programs. The brief also gives recommendations for federal and state policy to make these two offerings available nationwide.

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Is your workforce board considering how to get started in adopting registered apprenticeship (RA) or supporting RA programs in your area? Have you taken a few first steps but wondering what a higher level of workforce/RA system alignment could look like? The Center has created a draft tool designed to help boards visualize "levels" of RA alignment and self-assess their current alignment status. This special interactive session shares the draft tool and walks through the proposed "levels" of alignment, including indicators and next steps.

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This webinar provides technical assistance for workforce development boards regarding becoming a Registered Apprenticeship (RA) sponsor.

Safal Partners and FASTPORT subject matter experts speak about how workforce development boards can help a business start a registered apprenticeship and become a sponsor. Additionally, current sponsors from workforce development share their expertise in becoming a sponsor.

Hear how organizations made the decision to become an RA sponsor, best practices for engaging all stakeholders in the process, and hear about the pros and cons of becoming an RA sponsor.

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Katie Adams, Chief Delivery Officer, and Melissa Aguilar-Southard, Director and Subject Matter Expert, from Safal Partners presented on behalf of the RA TA Center of Excellence on Strategic Partnerships and System Alignment at the National Association of Workforce Development National Conference. This presentation will strengthen your knowledge of registered apprenticeship by providing some insight, basic apprenticeship information, and actionable next steps to move forward. Katie and Melissa point out four major knowledge gaps from a recent Workforce System Registered Apprenticeship Baseline Knowledge Assessment Report including funding support through co-enrollment and sharing knowledge about registered apprenticeship.

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Moderated by Megan Baird, Deputy Administrator at the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship, this webinar features employers and local workforce boards in a frank conversation about what’s working for employers and what improvements can help grow Registered Apprenticeship nationally and at the state level.

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This Apprenticeship.gov Fact Sheet shows a summary of the findings from the Evaluation of the American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI) offering insight into the benefits to employers of using registered apprenticeship programs to hire and train workers. There were two main findings: return on investment (ROI) of apprenticeship and net benefits of apprenticeship.

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Center of Excellence partner, FASTPORT, is interviewed on Weld Wednesday with the American Welding Society (AWS).

Industry experts Scott Ellsworth, MBA and Joseph Young discuss the benefits of setting up apprenticeships for your company. They explain how to utilize the resources provided by the AWS to establish effective training programs for your employees.

By building your workforce from the ground up with apprenticeships, you can ensure that all of your employees receive the same training and possess the same skills, leading to a more cohesive and efficient team. This podcast goes into the details of how to get started with apprenticeship programs and discover why the cost and time investment is well worth it.

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The Urban Institute recently published a report for the U.S. DOL documenting the return-on-investment (ROI) estimates that the American Apprenticeship Initiative employers made by investing in apprenticeship programs over a 5-year period with key findings "that the median ROI is $1.44."

This questionnaire is intended to help your organization answer important internal questions in preparation for working with your local US Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship (DOL OA) staff or State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) staff to develop or expand a registered apprenticeship (RA) program.

The Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) Apprenticeship and Training Division (ATD) has been awarded $18.9 Million in grant funding to be awarded through three consecutive application rounds. These funds will support the development, expansion and implementation of registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. The funds will accelerate innovation in health care and manufacturing apprenticeships and support the development of pre-apprenticeship training programs in healthcare, manufacturing, and construction.

Application submissions: November 4, 2022 – March 10, 2023.

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