Resources and Tools

The Registered Apprenticeship Technical Assistance Center of Excellence is focused on helping key stakeholders build and scale strategic partnerships to put more American workers on high-quality apprenticeship career pathways.

Registered apprenticeship is the proven gold standard in workforce development. Better aligning industry, workforce and education around apprenticeship can help build a stronger, more resilient, and future-ready American workforce.

Utilize the dropdown menu to find resources to better equip your area of expertise in apprenticeship.

Resources

03 Mar 2025

The National Career Pathways Network (NCPN) is dedicated to improving the education-to-careers pipeline through professional development in career and technical education (CTE), Career Pathways, Adult Career Pathways, and workforce development. Center Subject Matter Expert, Alan Dodkowitz, presented the interactive workshop, Building Student Awareness of Apprenticeship Career Pathways, equipping both stakeholders and educators with tools to link Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs and successful education-to-apprenticeship pathways. The session provided data showcasing the benefits of RA and a discussion around expert insights on effective transitions to apprenticeship.

The presentation also discussed how our Center of Excellence can provide state and local CTE leadership and program instructors with customized, no-cost TA, resources and tools to engage in pre-apprenticeship.

Link to PPT

26 Feb 2025

Rural community colleges face unique challenges when implementing Registered Apprenticeship programs. In this webinar, Safal Partners Workforce Director, Dr. Melissa Schroeder, hosted a discussion with David Shofstahl, Apprenticeship Coordinator and Workforce Program Manager for Skilled Trades at Mountain Gateway Community College (MGCC). As a recognized leader in workforce development, David has navigated unique challenges of implementing Registered Apprenticeship programs in rural areas. MGCC, the second smallest community college in Virginia, has utilized innovative approaches to overcome significant barriers to apprenticeship adoption. Dr. Melissa Schroeder also offers her insight into the challenges and opportunities facing community colleges.

Link to Webinar

Link to PPT 

 

 

11 Jan 2025

The Center of Excellence's subject matter experts Alan Dodkowitz, Nicole Bentley, and Jeremy Faulkner, alongside Amy Shields, the Executive Director of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) Foundation and VP of Programs at ACCE, discussed how chambers can play one or more primary roles in Registered Apprenticeship. Participants also heard findings from a collaborative knowledge assessment given to member chambers and guidance on how chambers can serve as effective conveners of member employers.

Link to PPT

Link to Webinar

12 Dec 2024

The Center presented this interactive workshop during ACTE’s CareerTech VISION 2024 to help employers of all sizes and all sectors expand their workforce recruiting and development strategies by adopting Registered Apprenticeship. Career and technical education (CTE) programs are expertly positioned to accelerate student’s successful entry into these programs through development of strategic partnerships and industry-aligned pre-apprenticeship programs. The Center also showcased how we can provide your state and local CTE leadership, and individual program instructors, with customized, no-cost TA, resources, and tools to engage in pre-apprenticeship. 

Link to PPT

10 Dec 2024

The Center of Excellence lead this interactive workshop during the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association’s Apprenticeship PA Collaborative and Expo. This presentation helps educators, industry employers, and workforce staff learn how to develop, implement, and sustain youth Registered Apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs.

Link to PPT

10 Oct 2024

The public workforce system is dedicated to offering a comprehensive range of services for job seekers and businesses. However, navigating operational silos and building effective cross-program partnerships can present challenges. 

This presentation, presented at Maryland's Raising the Bar Conference, focuses on the vital collaboration between the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and Registered Apprenticeship (RA) systems, showcasing how this strategic alliance can drive success.  Whether you aim to elevate your current WIOA and RA partnership or seek guidance on establishing a new collaboration, this presentation offers valuable insights and practical strategies. 

If you're a workforce system stakeholders eager to enhance your RA partnerships, this presentation:

• Identifies key intersections between WIOA and RA systems.

• Highlights best practices for fostering robust WIOA-RA collaborations.

 • Dispels common myths and misconceptions that hinder effective partnerships.

Link to PPT

 

 

09 Oct 2024

Maryland's employers are struggling to fill jobs, while parents face the rising costs of college. The state has also set an ambitious goal: by the 2030-2031 school year, 45% of graduating seniors should complete an apprenticeship or earn an industry-recognized credential. Achieving these objectives will require a significant expansion of youth apprenticeships across the state.

This workshop provides insights into how education can seamlessly transition into apprenticeship. It presents data and statistics highlighting the impact and success rates of Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs and explores the many benefits of combining traditional education with RA, such as enhanced skills acquisition, job readiness, and long-term career success. Industry experts share examples of successful education-to-apprenticeship pathways. This presentation equips you with the strategies and knowledge to bridge the gap between education and apprenticeship, ultimately benefiting both students and the workforce.

Link to PPT

 

09 Oct 2024

This workshop was presented at the PA Workforce Leaders Symposium and provides a holistic overview of the Investing in America (IIA) Agenda, provides examples of how communities and workforce boards can partner together to leverage resources, and explores how funds can be utilized to train opportunity youth to support Registered Apprenticeship (RA) pathways, other career pipelines, and industry’s growing needs and help Pennsylvania meet their growing workforce needs.

Through the current administration’s IIA Agenda, the administration is collaborating with state and local officials, employers, unions, community colleges, high schools, and other stakeholders to create a skilled workforce. In particular, the pathways are being created for the opportunity youth in our current and future pipelines, including the use of RA programs and other meaningful career avenues, which provide incredible earn and learn opportunities.  This workshop discusses these pipelines and how these investments in Pennsylvania can support workforce development for opportunity youth in the State.


Link to PPT

30 Sep 2024

The American public workforce system plays a key role in helping public and private sector employers’ talent pipeline development strategies. Business Services Representatives (BSRs) working for local workforce development boards (LWDBs) are uniquely able to help employers unpack and adopt Registered Apprenticeship (RA). 

This webinar provides key information and tools including an overview of RA, discuss funding that can be utilized to support employers’ RA programs, and demonstrate how RA can support their LWDBs’ WIOA performance metrics.

Link to PPT

Link to Webinar

17 Sep 2024

The ATR and BSR Training Series provides training on Registered Apprenticeship (RA) as an ideal solution in the workforce system and how both types of representatives can work in conjunction with one another to leverage the apprenticeship system on behalf of employers.

For Business Services Representatives:

Session 1: Understanding RA as a Business
Services Opportunity - How RA is structured and works in concert with the workforce system, recent initiatives, funding opportunities, partners, and how to speak to employers about RA.

Link to Webinar

Link to PPT

Session 2: Industry and Workforce: Making Apprenticeship Central to WIOA Business Services - How RA bolsters the success of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) business services, the role of the RA system, and how to coordinate and collaborate with ATRs and Navigators.

Link to Webinar

Link to PPT

Link to Handout

For Apprenticeship Training Representatives

Session 1: Understanding the Public Workforce System and BSR Role - How Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs) make decisions on policies, the BSR role, and funding for employers, job seekers and how it relates to RA.

Link to Webinar

Link to PPT

Session 2: Promising Practices for Building Effective ATR/BSR Partnerships - How to engage with BSRs to develop outreach to industry in developing new and expanded RA programs; promising practices for engaging with BSRs and other LWDB staff; and what successful collaboration between ATRs and the workforce system can look like.

Link to Webinar

Link to PPT

Capstone Session

ATRs and BSRs: Collaborating to Expand RA - The overlap in ATR and BSR roles related to employer engagement for accelerating industry’s understanding and adoption of RA to build talent pipelines which benefits job seekers who are served by LWDB case managers. This session showcases workforce experts featuring effective ATR and BSR partnerships.

Link to Webinar

Link to PPT
 

26 Aug 2024

This Center of Excellence webinar is designed to empower educators, practitioners, and stakeholders with the knowledge and tools needed to seamlessly connect education with Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs. Attendees will gain insights into how education can effectively transition into apprenticeship, hear comprehensive data and statistics that highlight the impact and success rates of RA programs, and learn about the myriad of benefits of combining traditional education with RA, including enhanced skills acquisition, job readiness, and long-term career success. Industry experts will also provide examples of successfully implementing education-to-apprenticeship pathways. This informative and engaging session will equip you with the strategies and knowledge to bridge the gap between education and apprenticeship, ultimately benefiting students and the workforce.

Link to Webinar

Link to PPT

Link to Office Hours Webinar

Link to Office Hours PPT

31 Jul 2024

This Center of Excellence webinar provides technical assistance for Case Managers and front-line staff to hear the benefits and opportunities of co-enrolling Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) career seekers with Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs.

Discover the myriad of benefits RA offers your region and the apprentices, understand the essentials of co-enrolling participants in RA and WIOA, and learn about how to leverage WIOA funding to support registered apprenticeships for sustainable workforce development.

Link to Webinar

Link to PPT

Link to Office Hours PPT

Link to Office Hours Webinar

30 Jul 2024

The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) serves more than 9,000 leaders from 1,300 chambers of commerce, including 93 of the top 100 metro areas in the U.S. The Center of Excellence presented at the ACCE's 2024 conference about leveraging Chambers of Commerce in Registered Apprenticeship alignment efforts. Participants explored the five core components of Registered Apprenticeship and gained insights into the current role of Chambers of Commerce in these programs. The session showcased best practices for Chamber involvement, featuring a presentation from the Greater Cleveland Partnership. Attendees also learned how their Chambers can engage more effectively to benefit local jobseekers, employers, and the Chambers themselves.

Link to PPT

19 Jul 2024

This module by the Registered Apprenticeship Academy offers sponsors an overview of guidelines for quality pre-apprenticeship program issued by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration. The module helps sponsors understand how to implement quality pre-apprenticeship programs and develop a pipeline for their registered apprenticeship programs.

Link to Module

19 Jul 2024

This Training and Employment Notice describes the scope and characteristics of quality pre-apprenticeship programs in a manner that is consistent with the language of the Equal Employment Opportunity in Apprenticeship Final Rule and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Final Rule; identifies how pre-apprenticeship programs can increase access to Registered Apprenticeship programs for all Americans; and provides examples of quality pre-apprenticeship programs in diverse settings.

Link to PDF