The Maryland Workforce Association’s Raising the Bar's annual conference is an opportunity for workforce practitioners and educational professionals to come together and discuss innovative solutions for workforce customers such as job seekers, youth, and businesses. At the conference the Center presented, Connecting Workforce and Registered Apprenticeship in Light of the RAISE Act. During this interactive session, Center Subject Matter Expert, Alan Dodkowitz, offered an overview of the recently passed RAISE Act and discussed its implications for Maryland’s public workforce infrastructure. Attendees discovered how to leverage RAISE act provisions to successfully secure funding, scale effective models and strengthen partnerships between employers and education providers. By the conclusion of the session, workshop attendees had a clear understanding of how local strategies can support state and federal priorities, while ensuring that Maryland positions itself as a national leader in the world of Registered Apprenticeship.
- FOLLOW US
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
Center partner, the California Workforce Association (CWA), hosted Meeting of the Minds, an annual conference in California that is the state’s foremost workforce development event, hosting hundreds of workforce, education, and community leaders throughout the state. The 2025 theme, Fearless Forward: Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity, speaks to the mindset that workforce practitioners are encouraged to embrace as we navigate the rapidly evolving workforce landscape.
The Center of Excellence presented, From Insight to Impact: Peer-Informed Tools to Expand Registered Apprenticeship, showcasing the Registered Apprenticeship (RA) alignment work we have partnered with CWA on over the past few years. This engaging session unpacked challenges that workforce boards, educational institutions, and other workforce partners have experienced in expanding RA and explored innovative strategies for scalable solutions for California.
The Center of Excellence attended the 2025 Florida Workforce Professional Development Summit themed, Building Brighter Futures: Florida’s Workforce Revolution. The event featured a wide range of workshops designed to support workforce practitioners at all levels within their individual organizations. The Center of Excellence and CareerSource Suncoast co-presented the workshop, A Journey to Success: Registered Apprenticeship and Workforce Development Alignment. Workshop attendees had the opportunity to explore historical foundations, modern-day significance, and practical, sustainable applications of the Registered Apprenticeship (RA) model. The Center of Excellence offered an overview of the Center’s work and discussed key components for aligning and integrating RA programs into local workforce development systems.
This resource equips American Job Center (AJC) case managers with clear tools, strategies, and resources to help veterans transition successfully into Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs. It covers everything from intake and priority-of-service under WIOA, military skills assessment, and collaborating with Veteran-specific programs, to understanding how to verify VA-approved RA providers and ensure veterans receive all eligible benefits such as the GI Bill’s housing allowance. Case managers will find actionable steps to strengthen employer partnerships, guide veterans in developing career plans, and improve employment outcomes through Registered Apprenticeship pathways.
This resource outlines and describes the key components of workforce system alignment with Registered Apprenticeship (RA). The document highlights six strategies for strengthening system alignment: adopting supportive policies that prioritize apprenticeship and streamline funding; embedding RA experts in American Job Centers to guide staff and job seekers; training Business Services Representatives to promote programs and engage employers; aligning data systems to improve sharing and policymaking; convening employers, educators, and partners to drive sector-based expansion; and, in some cases, having workforce boards or agencies directly sponsor apprenticeship programs to accelerate adoption and create more career pathways.
The Center produced this report to showcase how states are strategically aligning Career and Technical Education (CTE) with Registered Apprenticeship (RA). The report highlights trends such as funding initiatives, employer incentives, credential alignment, and data systems to strengthen talent pipelines and bridge education-to-employment gaps. By spotlighting innovative state policies and actionable examples, like tax credits and wraparound supports to stackable credential pathways, this resource equips apprenticeship stakeholders with practical models to scale robust, education-workforce aligned apprenticeship programs
The Center produced this user-friendly one-pager to clearly lay out the defining features, durations, pay structures, and credential outcomes of Integrated Education and Training (IET), Pre-Apprenticeship, and Registered Apprenticeship models—making it a practical tool for aligning and integrating these pathways to better serve adult learners. By spotlighting how IET and apprenticeship models complement one another, the document supports workforce and education leaders in building cohesive, flexible training strategies that accelerate entry into high-demand occupations.
Recognizing the importance of strategic rollout and adoption of National Guideline Standards (NGS), this tip sheet provides guidance on how to transition from approval to implementation. It offers practical steps for raising awareness, connecting with key stakeholders, and supporting partners in registering new Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs using NGS. The tip sheet outlines best practices for marketing, partner engagement, and sustained support to increase the utilization of NGS as a scalable workforce development tool.
This resource explores group Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs and how they can significantly enhance the reach and effectiveness of RA programs. Learn what a group RA program is and the benefits including efficiency, peer collaboration, and cost effectiveness when meeting workforce goals. Employers and organizations committed to building career pathways for students and career seekers are urged to use this resource to find a group sponsor or become a sponsor of a group RA program.
Chamber of Commerce members are employers who all share on common ongoing needs core to their business success: attracting, recruiting, hiring, training, and upskilling workers. This Guide outlines the core components of Registered Apprenticeship, explains its benefits for chambers and member businesses, and provides actionable strategies for chambers to become active facilitators in their regions. It includes real-world case studies from Chambers across the country—including the Charleston, South Carolina Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the Kentucky Chamber Foundation, and the German American Chamber of Commerce—to highlight successful approaches and scalable practices. The document concludes with practical next steps to help Chambers assess their members’ workforce development needs, align with apprenticeship systems, and create strategic partnerships that maximize impact. Through these efforts, Chambers can expand their role as vital workforce development leaders.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship Technical Assistance Center of Excellence on Strategic Partnerships and System Alignment hosted “Building Stronger American Workforce and Education System Support for Apprenticeship,” a national virtual Town Hall on advancing alignment of America’s apprenticeship, education, and workforce systems. This special event featured U.S. DOL leaders, Megan Baird, the Acting Administrator from the Office of Apprenticeship (OA), and Robin Fernkas, the Deputy Administrator from the Employment and Training Administration Office of Workforce Investment (OWI).
OA and OWI leadership was joined by the Center lead, Safal Partners, and its five partners - the National Association of Workforce Professionals, Coalition on Adult Basic Education, National Disability Institute, Wireless Infrastructure Association, and FASTPORT – in sharing insights from the field, lessons learned from the Center’s work over the past four years, and recommendations for future work.
The Transportation, Distribution & Logistics industry employs 1 in 14 working Americans offering a wide range of career opportunities and making it challenging for employers to fill open positions. This webinar provided Business Services Representatives (BSRs) with effective strategies to promote Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs to employers in this industry. The session highlighted how RA programs offer tailored solutions to meet specific workforce needs, can be seamlessly integrated into existing training and HR development plans, and deliver clear benefits such as a skilled talent pipeline, improved retention, and reduced recruitment costs.
This webinar, presented by the Center of Excellence in partnership with FASTPORT, was presented by Dave Harrison and Scott Ellsworth. Scott Ellsworth, the Principal and Owner of Scott Ellsworth Consulting and Sherpa Management Solutions, works as a contractor with numerous workforce organization assisting employers in developing and implementing effective RA programs. Dave Harrison, Executive Director of Workforce Development and Government Relations for FASTPORT, is a highly accomplished subject matter expert in RA, workforce development, government relations, and veteran employment initiatives. Dave brings extensive expertise in transportation, logistics, financial services, information security, and artificial intelligence sectors, where he has assisted employers and workforce development professionals in meeting evolving industry needs with innovative workforce development solutions.
Case managers play a critical role in workforce development, connecting jobseekers to quality training and employment opportunities. As Registered Apprenticeship (RA) continues to prove effective for career advancement, this webinar equipped case managers with practical strategies to present RA to jobseekers across various populations. Participants learned how to communicate the value of RA, articulate career pathways, and implement outreach methods for large-scale recruitment through events, platforms, and partnerships. The webinar also featured real-world examples of how organizations effectively use RA to recruit and engage talent.
This webinar, presented by the Center of Excellence in partnership with Fastport, featured guest presenters Dave Harrison and Scott Ellsworth. Dave Harrison, Executive Director of Workforce Development and Government Relations for Fastport, is a highly accomplished subject matter expert in RA, workforce development, government relations, and veteran employment initiatives. Scott Ellsworth, the Principal and Owner of Scott Ellsworth Consulting and Sherpa Management Solutions, works as a contractor with numerous workforce organization assisting employers in developing and implementing effective Registered Apprenticeship programs.
The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals 41st Annual Conference provided the opportunity for workforce development professionals to connect, innovate, and advance their work through interactive workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities. The conference attracts leaders and professionals from various workforce development organizations, including workforce boards, community colleges, private sector businesses, vocational rehabilitation, economic development, community and faith-based organizations, and more.
The Center of Excellence presented the workshop, Aligning Workforce and Registered Apprenticeship: Key Components for Success, during the conference focusing on the crucial partnership between the workforce system under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs, demonstrating how their integration can drive success. Participants explored six key components for aligning and integrating RA programs into local workforce systems, using a tool developed by Safal Partners, Key Components of Workforce System Alignment with Registered Apprenticeship, providing a roadmap for local Workforce Development Boards to strengthen their collaboration with RA programs.
The SelectUSA Investment Summit, the highest profile event in the United States, is designed to facilitate business investment by connecting thousands of investors, companies, economic development organizations, and industry experts. This event, hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, fosters collaboration between companies considering U.S. expansion and economic development organizations. The event was attended by hundreds of economic development organizations, service providers, industry experts, representatives from 50+ states and territories, companies from 90+ markets, and government officials. Katie Adams, Safal Partners’ Chief Delivery Officer presented “Growing Your Workforce in America: A U.S. Department of Labor Overview of the Workforce System.” Adams provided an overview of the workforce system, employer services at a local level, and Registered Apprenticeship, as well as explaining the business case for apprenticeship. Over 120+ participants attended the presentation, requiring some attendees to stand. Participants also represented foreign companies looking to expand operations to the United States.