Registered Apprenticeship

 

The Office of Apprenticeship promotes, engages and assists industry in the development, expansion and improvement of Registered Apprenticeship. The program is designed to provide skilled workers required by U.S. employers, ensure equal employment opportunities, and ensure the quality of all new and existing Registered Apprenticeship programs.

General information about this opportunity
Last Known Status
Active
Program Number
17.285
Federal Agency/Office
Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor
Type(s) of Assistance Offered
B - Project Grants; Z - Salaries and Expenses
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2020 Awarded grants to 42 states and U.S. territories. These grants are intended to support activities that improve states’ ability to serve, improve and expand the registered apprenticeship model by strengthening the national apprenticeship system, promoting system alignment and partnerships, and improving data sharing and data integrity. The majority of states received awards of $450,000. Additionally, 11 of those states received a second level of funding, ranging from $3,000,000 to $9,000,000.
Fiscal Year 2021 Awarded State Apprenticeship Expansion, Equity and Innovation grants, ranging from $2,000,000-$10,000,000 to bolster states’ efforts to expand programming and inclusive recruitment strategies to attract a diverse workforce. Awarded cooperative agreements to establish 4 registered apprenticeship technical assistance centers of excellence. Each center is its own topic: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Data Performance and Best Practices; Apprenticeship Occupations and Standards; and Strategic Partnerships and Alignment. Awards ranged from $4,000,000 to $13,000,000.
Fiscal Year 2022 Awarded 30 competitive grants to community-based organizations, workforce intermediaries, state agencies and, education institutions across four categories to ensure access to quality RAPs for all Americans: Category 1: State Apprenticeship System Building and Modernization; Category 2: Expansion of RAP Opportunities for Youth; Category 3: Ensuring Equitable RAP Pathways Through Pre-Apprenticeship Leading to RAP Enrollment and Equity Partnerships; and Category 4: Registered Apprenticeship Hubs to facilitate the establishment, scaling, and expansion of RAPs in new and fast-growing industries and occupations. Awards ranged from $2,000,000 to $8,000,000.
Fiscal Year 2023 Total apprentices served reflecting the diversity of America’s available workforce – 846,857. Total Annual Number of Apprentices served from underserved communities – 398,110. Data and Statistics Enhancement: Office of Apprenticeship published a dashboard with disaggregated data publicly on apprenticeship.gov through the Department’s Enterprise Data Platform. The Enterprise Data Platform (EDP) integrates data from existing reporting and case management systems (Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Database System – RAPIDS). This modern analytics-focused architecture connects internal and external data sets (mix of structured and unstructured data) to support diverse use cases for legacy data analysis, ongoing statistical, routine business reporting, trend and pattern evaluation, for participants in registered apprenticeship. The platform enables users to disaggregate data by race and ethnicity, industry, occupation, from a state or national perspective. Future enhancements of the tool will incorporate investment data for strategic growth targeting where effort should be prioritized to grow registered apprenticeships. Awarded 45 State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula (SAEF) grants as part of a five-year investment plan, for States to support State capacity and State planning to create new and expand existing Registered Apprenticeship Programs while also driving system innovation and reform. Subject to available funding, the Department intends to provide, on an on-going basis, an annual formula-funded base grant to all States that apply and that meet application requirements, as well as an opportunity for States to apply for additional Competitive Funding annually. States may apply for an annual Base Formula grant and Competitive Funding, contingent upon funding remaining available over the next five years. 45 states received base funding, of those 7 states also received competitive funds. Base funding amounts range between $300,000 and $1,500,000. Competitive funding amounts range between $3,000,000 and $6,000,000. Awarded TradesFutures, a 501c3 organization, a $19,821,832 Cooperative Agreement for their “Scaling Apprenticeship Readiness Across the Building Trades Initiative”. The goal of the Scaling Apprenticeship Readiness Across the Building Trades Initiative is to substantially increase the number of participants from underrepresented populations and underserved communities in registered apprenticeship programs within the construction industry sector. Through a cooperative agreement with the Department, this project will leverage a unique and proven apprenticeship readiness curriculum (Multi-Craft Core Curriculum or MC3) for construction trades, a dynamic partnership model, and the ability for national reach for union placement opportunities for program graduates.
Authorization
Public Law 116-260 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021
Public Law 116-94; Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020
29 U.S.C. Parts 29 and 30
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, Public Law 117-103
Who is eligible to apply/benefit from this assistance?
Applicant Eligibility
Employers, unions, labor-management, federal and state government entities, U.S. territories, public, private and quasi-public nonprofit institutions/organizations, and other workforce intermediaries can be eligible to start and maintain Registered Apprenticeship programs. The vast majority of programs are not funded by Federal grant funds. The OA and SAAs provide technical assistance. Entities eligible for funding associated with 17.285 are outlined within each discretionary announcement, and vary between vehicles. Eligible entities may include any of the following: 501 (c) organizations, educational organizations, state entities, tribal entities, municipal entities, for-profit entities. All applicants must meet the eligibility requirements outlined in the funding announcement to which they apply, and include current SAM.gov registration, DUNS registration among others. Please refer to each individual announcement to determine eligibility.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Eligible beneficiaries are defined by the individual grant program by funding opportunity.
Credentials/Documentation
To become a registered apprentice: No credentials or documentation are required by the Agency. Documentation may be required by the employer upon hire. To be a grantee: Credentials and/or documentation (for example: accreditation documentation for an IHE) may be required by any funding vehicle, please refer to the specific funding vehicle for further information. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program. Credentials and/or documentation (for example: accreditation documentation for an IHE) may be required by any funding vehicle, please refer to the specific funding vehicle for further information.
What is the process for applying and being award this assistance?
Pre-Application Procedure
Preapplication coordination is required. There may be pre-application coordination requirements, see each individual program funding announcement for any applicable details/requirements.
Application Procedure
2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. 2 CFR 200 applies to this program. All applications must be submitted through grants.gov, and must contain all required documents as indicated in each funding vehicle to continue consideration. Any indicated requested documents are strongly suggested to be submitted at the time of application. Steps beyond those stated, or covered in 2 CFR 200 vary by funding vehicle, and are outlined in each funding vehicle.
Award Procedure
Funding announcements are published at Grants.gov and the Employment and Training Administration's website (can be found below), or through a Training and Employment Guidance Letter. These announcements will provide all of the necessary additional award information.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines
Approval/Disapproval Decision Time
From 60 to 90 days. Generally, announcements are open for 45-60 days, but can be shorter periods. The review and award process takes approximately 30-60 days.
Appeals
While appeals are not applicable, unsuccessful applicants may request feedback from the contacts listed in the funding announcement to which they applied
Renewals
If circumstances warrant, a grantee may request an extension for up to 12 months. Modification requests are submitted when the grant is in its final year.
How are proposals selected?
Criteria are outlined in the individual funding opportunity announcements.
How may assistance be used?
Assistance may be used to expand Registered Apprenticeship in new industries, as well as established industries. Specific restrictions vary by funding vehicle, please refer to specific funding vehicle.
What are the requirements after being awarded this opportunity?
Reporting
Performance Reports: At least quarterly – Specific performance and reporting requirements are outlined in each funding vehicle.
Auditing
Info covered under 2 CFR 200
Records
Grant record retention policy outlined in 2 CFR 200.333-337, for a period of no less than three years after submission of final expenditure report, or longer in cases of special circumstances. For program sponsors, apprenticeship selection records are required to show compliance with nondiscrimination requirements set out in Title 29 CFR Part 30 and are to be kept for five years.
Other Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Assistance availability and duration outlined in each funding opportunity, varies according to each funding opportunity. See applicable funding announcement.
Who do I contact about this opportunity?
Regional or Local Office
None/Not specified.
Headquarters Office
Marcia Hampton
200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20210 USA
apprenticeship.grants@dol.gov
Phone: 202-693-2626

Megan Baird
200 Constitution Ave NW, Room C-5311
Washington, DC 20210 US
baird.megan@dol.gov
Phone: 2026932822
Website Address
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/apprenticeship/
Financial Information
Account Identification
16-0172-0-1-504
Obligations
(Project Grants (Discretionary)) FY 22$172,000,000.00; FY 23 est $88,000,000.00; FY 24 est $160,000,000.00; FY 21$130,000,000.00; FY 20$123,000,000.00; FY 19$93,000,000.00; FY 18$49,000,000.00; FY 17$51,000,000.00; FY 16$10,000,000.00; - FY 2016 is the first year of funding. Future funding is conditional upon congressional approval.(Salaries and Expenses) FY 22$37,000,000.00; FY 23 est $39,000,000.00; FY 24 est $39,000,000.00; -
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Ranges vary according to the type of funding opportunity. See individual funding opportunity announcements or TEGLs for range of awards.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
29 CFR Parts 29 and 30
Examples of Funded Projects
Fiscal Year 2016 FY 2016 Apprenticeship USA Expansion and Innovation Grants
Fiscal Year 2017 FY 2017 Apprenticeship USA Expansion and Innovation Grants
Fiscal Year 2020 Grants to states for capacity building and system-wide expansion of the registered apprenticeship model; industry intermediary contracts to expand into new and emerging industries; four cooperative agreements for developing technical assistance centers in the following areas: diversity and inclusion; data and performance and best practices; apprenticeship occupations and standards; and strategic partnerships and system alignment.

 


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