Are Apprenticeships Right for You?
Apprenticeship programs allow youth to explore a career and develop occupational skills while continuing their education. This resource from the United States Department of Labor is a helpful tool for anyone building and exploring apprenticeship.
The best, most successful apprenticeship programs rely on partners. While net.America will work with you to develop apprenticeship standards, we recommend engaging with one (or more) partners to help build a long-lasting program that will provide the best return on your investment.
Becoming a Provider
One component of apprenticeship programs is Related Training Instruction (RTI). RTI refers to the classroom and/or lab learning experiences of apprentices. Hours spent in the classroom are designed to complement the On-the-Job Training (OJT) component of apprenticeships and enhance the learning experience.
Providers of both Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) have several options to satisfy the Related Training Instruction component. Furthermore, the customizability of the training allows sponsors to steer their apprentices toward maximum efficiency and productivity, selecting classes and curriculum that are specific to the employers’ needs.
Related Training Instruction delivers the technical, workforce, and academic competencies that apply to the job.
Most RAPs adhere to the federal recommendation of requiring at least 144 hours of RTI for every 2000 hours of on-the-job learning (work process). For example, a 4000 hour (2 year) program should include about 288 hours of RTI. This averages to less than three hours a week over the course of the 52 weeks in a year.
Who can become a Provider
- Community colleges (credit or non-credit)
- Private training institutions
- Unions
- Online
- Employers (internal RTI)
For example, an employer may choose to do some RTI internally but send their apprentices to a local college for more general courses.
Requirements
According to federal regulations, individuals providing apprenticeship RTI must meet the following criteria:
Meet The State Department of Education requirements for a vocational instructor or be a Subject Matter Expert which is an individual who is recognized within an industry as having expertise in an industry-specific occupation, training in teaching techniques, and adult learning styles.
COMPETENCY-BASED (CB) OCCUPATIONS: Most CB occupations are created based on existing TB occupations, so the number of RTI hours should be based on the number required for the analogous TB occupation. If an analogous TB occupation does not exist, the sponsor should consult with the DOL to determine an appropriate amount of RTI on a case-by-case basis.
HYBRID (HY) OCCUPATIONS: Every HY occupation has a range of estimated work process hours. The number of RTI hours should roughly align with the higher end of the HY work process range. E.g., for an HY occupation with a range of 3000 – 4000 hours, the program should have about 288 hours of RTI (144 * [4000/2000]).
Building Apprenticeship Standards
The easiest way to comply is to become what is referred to as a “training agent” employer participating in an existing, approved Apprenticeship program. This process can be relatively quick but relies solely on the program sponsor and interested business to carry it through.
For organizations that do not want to join an existing program and have the desire, capacity, and resources to develop their own standards, help is available:
Contact the net.America for assistance.
Intermediaries can help employers build apprenticeship standards.
Develop Related Technical Instruction (RTI)
The RTI provides the why we do what we do of an occupation while ‘On the Job Learning’ provides the how we do what we do. RTI, therefore, reinforces what is learned on the job. RTI is developed by employer industry subject matter experts (SMEs).
Safety training, for example, is common to all occupations. Depending on the industry, it can take anywhere from 10 hours (OSHA 10) to more than forty hours (healthcare). Online training providers, employers, labor unions and community colleges can serve as RTI providers.
A three-credit college course, for example, is typically 45 contact hours. If you program has 144 hours of classroom training, that would equate to 3 college courses with the employer adding 9 hours of training to reach the recommended 144 hours of RTI.
Which programs currently exist
- Certified Nursing Assistant
- Community Health Worker
- Behavioral Health Worker
- Direct Support Professional
- Medical Assistant
- Certified Home Health Care Worker
- Healthcare Integration Developer
- Healthcare Integration Analyst
- Weatherization Installer
- Office Administrator (Prosthetics)
- Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA)
- Medical Navigator
- Certified Medical Assistant
- Surgical Processing Technicians
- Bilingual Advocates
- Licensed Renewable Energy Technician
- Cyber Security Technician
Testimonial
“Access to Wholistic and Productive Living (AWPLI) provides support [for apprentices] to build interpersonal reflection and understanding [to build] much needed skills.”
For more resources to use in apprenticeships information, advice and guidance planning throughout the year, please download Apprenticeship Process Guide