In cooperation with the USDOL’s Office of Apprenticeship (OA) and its Division of Indian and Native American Programs (DINAP), the Center of Excellence hosted a webinar series featuring Safal Partners, a U.S. DOL funded Cyber and Tech Industry Intermediary and Registered Apprenticeship (RA) program sponsors in Washington State. Presenters gave details about their RA programs and application process to professionals representing Native American jobseekers, Tribal college career centers, one-stops, and other workforce offices to show how to connect their workforce program participants and students to federally RA opportunities in the State of Washington.

Each webinar session consists of three different apprenticeship programs sharing their program’s occupations, application dates, application process, expectations, wages, cost, benefits, work/school location(s), and other pertinent details and includes a short Q&A period. This recruiting opportunity is designed to benefit Native American jobseekers and to bridge partnerships between RA programs and tribal organizations.

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This second Business Services Representatives’ (BSRs) training session features how registered apprenticeship (RA) bolsters the success of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) business services, the RA System and the role of Apprenticeship Training Representatives (ATRs), and how to coordinate and collaborate with ATRs and Navigators.

RA is an ideal solution for many employers that are partners with workforce boards and American Job Centers. This online training explores innovative ways that apprenticeship ties in with WIOA business services. It also equips you to connect with and leverage the support of the apprenticeship system on behalf of employers.

By connecting intentionally and regularly with ATRs, WIOA business services can better engage employers, place candidates in well-paying RA employment, and increase positive WIOA performance metrics.

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The National Association of Workforce Boards held The Forum in Washington, DC. about workforce policy, initiatives, and trends.

Registered Apprenticeship (RA) subject matter experts, Alan Dodkowitz from Safal Partners, Brent Weil from the Wireless Infrastructure Association, Jeff Smith from the U.S. DOL Office of Apprenticeship, and James Disbro from Career Source Suncoast, presented to workforce stakeholders discussing core RA-related elements of the Investing in America Agenda and promising practices for partnership development to access and implement Investing in America funding.

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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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