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.

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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 provides Business Services Representatives (BSRs) with effective strategies to promote Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs to employers in this industry. The session highlights 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, is 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. 

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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 equips case managers with practical strategies to present RA to jobseekers across various populations. Learn 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 features 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, features 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. 

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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.

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Based on research and assessments conducted by the Center of Excellence, Center Subject Matter Expert, Alan Dodkowitz, provides 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 addition, James Disbro, Senior Director of Regional Alignment and Programs Development for CareerSource Suncoast, and Brandon Butler, Executive Director of the Maryland Workforce Association, discuss Florida's and Maryland's apprenticeship expansion efforts. Mr. Disbro focuses 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 speaks about Maryland’s approach to RA, challenges faced in implementing apprenticeship programs, and Maryland’s overall RA strategy.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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