Employer Interview Guide

Evaluation of the American Apprenticeship Initiative

B4.AAI Employer Interview Guide 051018

Employer Interview Guide

OMB: 1290-0017

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OMB No. 1290-XXXX

Exp. Date XX/XX/2021


OMB Package


Evaluation of the American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI)

Site Visit Interview Guide:

Employer Partners

Introduction


I am (we are) researchers from Abt Associates, a private research organization based in Cambridge, MA, which conducts policy-related research on social and economic issues. The Evaluation of the American Apprenticeship Initiative is being conducted by Abt Associates and Urban Institute under contract to the U.S. Department of Labor. The goal of our visit today is to help us understand the early implementation experiences of American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI) grant-funded projects. The evaluation aims to identify lessons learned from your experiences in implementing the projects under AAI. As part of this evaluation, we are conducting visits to 10 grantees. In addition to our site visits, we are collecting and analyzing data on program participation, services, and outcomes provided by the U.S. Department of Labor as well as administering a survey to a subset of AAI participants.


During our site visits to each of the project sites, we are interviewing AAI grant project directors and staff, as well as partner organizations and employers. We are here to learn about your firm’s role in the AAI grant and how the AAI program was implemented. Our aim is to learn from your experiences, not to audit or judge your role in the AAI program.


Before beginning the interview, I (we) want to thank you for agreeing to participate in the study. I (we) know that you are busy, and we will try to be as focused as possible. We have many questions and are going to talk with many different people, so please do not feel as though we expect you to be able to answer every question. Your participation in this discussion is voluntary, and you may choose not to answer any question.


In addition, before we start, I want to let you know that though we take notes at these interviews, information is never repeated with the name of the respondent. When we write our reports and discuss our findings, we compile and present information from the full set of interviews without identifying any one person. We do present information at the organization level but in ways that do not identify particular individuals. Do you have any questions before we begin?


[Interviewer Instructions: If the interview is going to be recorded, inform the respondent and request permission to record the interview.]


According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit (FOA-ETA-15-02). Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to [email protected] and reference the 0MB Control Number 1290-XXXX. Comments can also be mailed to:  U.S. Department of Labor, Chief Evaluation Office, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, S-2312, Washington, DC  20210.  Note: Please do not return the completed interview guide to the email or mailing address.



A. BASIC EMPLOYER INFORMATION AND AAI PROGRAM CONTEXT


  1. Verify or complete with the respondent the following background information about the firm. (Note: Collect and pre-fill this information prior to the visit from the grant application, KD matrix, or other available documentation and verify with the respondent. For example, create a fact sheet based on the grant proposal and other available background material and send it in advance of the visit to the site for review and comment.)


  1. Name of interviewee:


  1. Job title:


  1. Name of firm:


  1. Industrial sector (and occupation(s)):


  1. Approximate employer size (i.e., number of employees):


  1. Firm’s status in AAI program:

    • Identified as an employer partner in the grant application

    • AAI sponsor

    • New employer recruited by AAI program after grant application

    • Also involved in an AAI pre-apprenticeship program


  1. When did your firm first become involved in the AAI grant – for example, prior to grant award in preparing the grant application; at the time the grant was awarded, after the grant started? If your firm became involved after the grant started, can you estimate the month/year when your firm first became involved? Are you also involved in a pre-apprenticeship program through the AAI initiative? (Note to interviewer: if “yes” ask questions related to pre-apprenticeship at the end of the guide)


  1. Did your firm sponsor an apprenticeship [or pre-apprenticeship] program prior to the AAI grant? If yes, please provide some basic background about these apprenticeship programs (that pre-dated the AAI grant):

    • When did your firm first become involved in apprenticeship [or pre-apprenticeship]?

    • What motivated your firm to become involved in apprenticeship [or pre-apprenticeship] prior to the AAI grant? Possible probes:

    • Worried about existing or future shortage of qualified workers

    • Dissatisfaction with training provided outside of your firm and desire to teach firm-specific skills

    • Provided screening process effective at identifying workers likely to succeed

    • Helped in reaching a diverse, qualified workforce

    • Provided national credential linked to registered apprenticeship

    • Helped with developing skill standards and registration

    • Encouraged through relationship with/by Workforce Development Board or American Job Center

    • Other reason(s)

    • For what occupations was apprenticeship [and/or pre-apprenticeship offered?] For each of these occupations:

    • About how many apprentices are enrolled each year?

    • About how many apprentices complete each year?

    • What is the duration of the apprenticeship

    • Is the apprenticeship time-based or competency-based?


  1. Is your workforce unionized? If so, does it extend to occupations included in your apprenticeships?


  1. Please provide a brief description/overview of your firm’s involvement/role in the AAI grant. Some possible probes (note – for each probe, get interviewee to briefly highlight role firm played):

    • Helped with development of the AAI grant application

    • Helped with design of the AAI grant intervention

    • Is sponsoring apprenticeship training under the AAI grant

    • Is operating a pre-apprenticeship program

    • Is helping with recruitment of other firms to participate in and sponsor apprenticeship and/or pre-apprenticeship training under the AAI grant

    • Is involved in recruiting apprentices/pre-apprentices under the AAI grant

    • Is involved negotiating apprenticeship structure with organized labor

    • Other role(s)


  1. What were the key factors that initially motivated your firm to participate in the AAI grant? Possibilities:

    • Same reasons listed above for having apprenticeship before involvement in AAI (Note to interviewer: if “yes” skip the probes below)

    • Wanted to begin or expand an apprenticeship/pre-apprenticeship program(s)

    • Worried about existing or future shortage of qualified workers

    • Wanted to introduce a screening process effective at identifying workers likely to succeed

    • Wanted to recruit a diverse, qualified workforce

    • Wanted to introduce national credential linked to registered apprenticeship

    • Interested in the availability of AAI funds to

    • Support on-the-job learning (overhead costs, shadowing, mentoring)

    • Develop and deliver related technical instruction (RTI)

    • Support partnership building

    • Develop promotional materials

    • Support recruitment

    • Assistance available from AAI grantee

    • Other factor(s)


B. EMPLOYER RECRUITMENT AND INVOLVEMENT IN THE AAI GRANT


  1. If you were recruited to provide apprenticeships, what recruitment method(s) did the grantee use? Some possible recruitment methods include:

  • Direct contact through telephone or emails

  • AAI program staff outreach presentations or orientations with employers

  • Contacts by other organizations and employers (e.g., the Chamber of Commerce, employers or other entity sponsoring apprenticeships, workforce development boards)

  • Outreach campaigns using media (e.g., PSAs, TV, radio, newspaper, etc.)

  • Other


  1. Why did your firm agree to participant in the AAI grant initiative?


  1. If you are new to apprenticeship, take us step-by-step through the process of planning, implementing and registering your apprenticeship program.


  1. What assistance did the AAI grantee provide?


  1. Please describe the following details of your apprenticeship program:

    1. Names of occupations

    2. Whether occupations registered and if not, why.

    3. Whether firm is the sponsor or if registered program includes multiple employers

    4. Expected duration of each apprenticeship by occupation

    5. Goal for number of apprentices

    6. Number of apprentices hired to date

    7. Names of providers of RTI and other instruction

    8. Linkages with degree programs (such as AAs)


  1. If you have expanded an apprenticeship program through the AAI, please discuss the following for your apprenticeship program:

    1. Names of new occupations registered.

    2. Expected duration of each apprenticeship by occupation.

    3. Goal for number of additional apprentices under the expansion

    4. Number of additional apprentices hired to date.

    5. Number of additional apprentices hired from unrepresented groups (by underrepresented group) to date and target number (by underrepresented group) over the course of the grant.

    6. Names of providers of related and other instruction.

    7. Linkages with degree programs (such as AAs)


  1. What is the organizational structure for your AAI apprenticeship program? Please describe apprenticeship program staffing, indicating the types of positions and the extent to which each position is full-time/part-time and the funding for each position. If an organizational chart or position descriptions are available, please request a copy/copies.


  1. What funding do you receive from the AAI grantee? How are funds used?


  1. What other assistance did you receive from the grantee to design and implement your program?


  1. Experience in developing the skill frameworks or work processes, in selecting RTI providers, in developing the registration material,



C. TARGET POPULATION AND PARTICIPANT RECRUITMENT FOR AAI-FUNDED APPRENTICESHIP(S)

  1. What parts of the AAI apprenticeship outreach, and recruitment process does your firm operate or participate in?


  1. If your firm participates in outreach, how do you market your apprenticeships to prospective participants? Possibilities include: (more than one may apply)

  • Distribution of flyers, posters or other educational/informational

  • AAI program staff outreach presentations or orientations held in the area served

  • Informational websites (might also obtain an estimate of how many presentations/orientations conducted)

  • Toll-free informational hotlines

  • Outreach campaigns using media (e.g., PSAs, TV, radio, newspaper, ads on buses/bus shelters)

  • Social media (e.g., LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) – please specify, which types of social media are used and how

  • Word-of-mouth

  • Through grant partners


How successful is your firm in attracting highly suitable candidates for apprenticeships?


  1. What populations have your firm targeted for special outreach? Why? Some possible special target groups include:

  • Incumbent workers

  • New entrants to the labor force

  • Long-term unemployed

  • Low income

  • Populations that may traditionally be underrepresented in apprenticeship, including:

    • Women

    • Black/African American and Hispanic men and women

    • Individuals with disabilities

    • Low-skilled populations

    • Veterans, including transitioning service members

    • Out-of-school youth

    • Formerly incarcerated individuals


  1. [If relevant] How successful has your firm been in recruiting traditionally underrepresented populations?


  1. Have there been recruitment challenges? If so, what challenges have been encountered and how have they been addressed? Some possible challenges include:

  • Have difficulty finding eligible participants

  • Many who applied have insufficient basic skill levels

  • Some applicants are not interested or motivated to participate in apprenticeship

  • Apprenticeship period is too lengthy for some applicants

  • Partners that were supposed to provided referrals have not provided them in sufficient numbers

  • Didn’t have enough resources for recruitment

  • Changing economic conditions in the areas has made recruitment more challenging

  • Other, please specify


  1. Overall, what recruitment or referral strategies being used under the AAI grant have been most successful? Do you feel any of these strategies are new, unique and/or innovative?


D. AAI PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY, INTAKE, AND ASSESSMENT


  1. What is your role in the assessment of potential apprentices? The apprentice intake process? Please provide an overview of the flow of new recruits through the intake process. [Note: Request copies of intake process flow chart.]


  1. What are the eligibility requirements to enroll in the apprenticeship operated by your firm? [Note: Request copies of AAI participant eligibility or intake form(s).] Possibilities include:

  • Complete pre-apprenticeship program (i.e., for apprenticeship program component)

  • Be from a specific subpopulation

  • Reside within a specific geographic area

  • Meet income eligibility requirements (what are these requirements)

  • Meet education level requirements (e.g. high school diploma, GED/HSED) or basic skill levels


  1. Does the AAI grantee prescreen applicants for your firm? Please describe this process including (if applicable):

    1. How does the AAI program determine whether an applicant is the right fit?

    2. About what percentage of applicants are rejected (e.g., screened out during the employer interview process)? What are the major reasons your firm rejects applicants?


  1. During the apprenticeship intake process, does your firm use any formal assessment tools/tests (including formal tests such as the TABE, interest inventories, substance abuse screening)? If yes, please identify these formal assessments. [Note: Request copies of assessment forms, if relevant.]


E. MAIN TRAINING PROGRAM COMPONENTS/SERVICES – EXAMPLE(S) OF APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING FUNDED UNDER AAI

[Note: Cover these topics to the extent that they are not covered during the earlier discussion of employer involvement. It may be necessary to focus in on a particular employer or apprenticeship program as an example of AAI-funded apprenticeship program. If a visit is conducted to a particular apprenticeship program or programs as part of the site visit, it may be appropriate to skip these questions and cover them at the employer or training site where the apprenticeship training is being provided.]


  1. [Note to interviewer: ask this question for each apprenticed occupation] Is the AAI-funded apprenticeship program time-based (e.g., completion of specific numbers of hours of training), competency-based or a combination of the two?

    1. What is the usual duration of participation in the apprenticeship? Is there variation in how long it takes an AAI participant to complete the apprenticeship? If yes, what is the range of time (in weeks, months, or years) and why might it vary on a case-by-case basis??

    2. If competency-based, how is it determined that a participant has achieved the necessary level of competence to complete the apprenticeship?


  1. For each occupation, how many hours of RTI (i.e., classroom/web-based) are provided during the apprenticeship component? Over what period of time does RTI occur?

  1. What is the typical schedule for an apprentice each week – e.g., 4 hours of formal classroom instruction and 36 hours of work)? Does this schedule change over the course of the apprenticeship?

  2. Where and how is instruction provided (e.g., classroom, web-based, hybrid, laboratory/shop)?

  3. Where is instruction provided (e.g., at a community college, at a union, at an employer site)?

  4. Please provide a brief overview of the instruction provided (e.g., topics covered in classroom instruction). [Note: If applicable, request a syllabus for the coursework or a topic outline for the training.]


  1. Is the apprenticeship training connected to higher education? If so, how? Do AAI apprenticeship participants receive post-secondary (college) credits, credentials, or certificates? What are the credits, credentials, and/or certificates? What is the schedule for receipt of these credits, credentials, or certifications?


  1. Are there innovative RTI methods being used as part of your apprenticeship program? Please briefly discuss. Possibilities might include:

  • Accelerated learning modules

  • Contextualized learning

  • Team teaching

  • Self-paced learning

  • Competency-based learning

  • Prior learning assessments

  • Technology-enabled learning, such as use of simulators, on-line teaching/learning

  • Integrating basic skills instruction with technical instruction


  1. Has AAI funding been used for any of the following, and if so, how:

    1. Development and provision of training courses, including those at post-secondary education level that are integrated into apprenticeship

    2. Tuition and other educational fees

    3. Delivery of instructional requirements (e.g., virtual learning technology, classroom instructors)

    4. Cost of training facilities

    5. Books, computers, etc.


  1. How many hours of on-the-job instruction does an apprentice complete (i.e., each week, month, or year). Does this vary over time and, if so, how?

    1. Where do apprentices work -- for which employers and in what types of jobs? For example, in what types of jobs do apprentices start and progress to during their involvement in the apprenticeship?

    2. Who oversees and provides workplace/on-the-job instruction to the apprentice (i.e., while the apprentice is working)? Please briefly describe the nature of the workplace instruction provided to apprentices.

    3. What is the supervisor-to-apprentice ratio during the apprenticeship period (e.g., 1 supervisor to 3 apprentices)? Does it change over time?

    4. With regard to on-the-job learning, have AAI funding been used to offset overhead costs associated with any of the following (and if so, how): providing training, job shadowing, mentoring, and additional supervision?

  1. What is the schedule of wages and benefits for apprentices?


  1. To what extent are non-training supports provided during the apprenticeship period (e.g., case management, personal support services, career coaches/navigators, counseling, tutoring and mentoring)? How is each support provided (e.g., by the employer? By AAI? Through referrals?)


  1. To what extent are supportive services provided such as transportation assistance, work clothes/equipment, childcare, and needs-based payments? If provided, how are these supportive services structured and paid for? Who provides these services?


  1. What percentage of participants completes apprenticeships (per occupation, if appropriate)? Are there certain types of apprentices that are more/less likely to complete?




F. AAI TRAINING PARTICIPATION LEVELS/CHARACTERISTICS AND EARLY OUTCOMES

[Note: Prior to site visit, collect available administrative data on the firm’s participant enrollment levels, characteristics, and outcomes. If appropriate/feasible send data to the informant prior to the visit for review and comment.]


  1. How many apprentices have been enrolled to date? [Note: Get information from QPR as appropriate.]


  1. Do you anticipate achieving your AAI enrollment goal by the end of the grant? What is your enrollment goal? If not, why not?


  1. If you have been training apprentices under the AAI program long enough to be able to judge, do you think the experience will yield a positive return on your investment? If yes, on what basis? If not, why?



4. How many apprentices have completed their apprenticeships? Have apprenticeships been completed within the expected timeframe? If applicable, is the program on track to achieve its overall goal for completions? If not, why not? Might ask by each occupation too, if applicable.


  1. What are the reasons that apprentices do not complete?


    1. What number or proportion of apprentices has your firm terminated? Have there been any distinguishing characteristics of those who were terminated? When does termination usually occur and why? If more than one occupation, is there a difference in terminations?


  1. [Note to interviewers: ask the following question only if the AAI program has been up and running long enough for a reasonable number of these outcomes to have occurred.]We would like to gather your views and any supporting data that you might have on the following outcomes for apprentices enrolled to date. [Note: If available, prior to the visit, collect available administrative data on these measures; during the visit collect additional statistical reports or tallies of participant outcomes to date that the grantee produces.]


    1. What kinds of credentials do apprentices obtain? For example:

  • Degrees (Associates, undergraduate)

  • Interim credentials (describe)

  • Adult basic education or GED (pre-apprentice only)

  • Occupational certificates


    1. What occupations are apprenticeship completers entering? What are the average wage levels? What is the promotion potential? Are these occupations part of an established career ladder/career pathway? Please ask for diagram or description of career ladder/pathway, including position descriptions and wages.

    2. Do the completers typically stay with your firm? If yes, for how long? If no, why not?

    3. Has your participation in the AAI initiative established new pipelines of workers for your firm?


  1. Based on your experiences to date, will your firm make any adjustments to your apprenticeship program (e.g., recruitment, training, supports)? If yes, how? Why?


  1. Are there ways in which the AAI grantee could further support your firms’ needs and goals? If yes, how? Why?


  1. Are there other approaches, strategies, or services that you believe would contribute to better outcomes for apprentices?


H. ASSESSMENT OF AAI AND LESSONS LEARNED TO DATE


  1. Has your firm faced any challenges in establishing or expanding apprenticeships under the AAI grant? If yes, how have each of these challenges been addressed? Some examples include:

  • Determining the appropriate occupation and occupational title

  • Developing the job tasks that apprentices are expected to master

  • Determining the competencies required for the job tasks

  • Specifying a skill framework or work process schedule

  • Identifying how apprentices can contribute to production

  • Completing the paperwork requirements for registration

  • Gaining approval to register the program

  • Finding the appropriate provider of related technical instruction

  • Funding the off-job related instruction

  • Assessing the costs and benefits of apprenticeship investments


  1. What were the main advantages of offering apprenticeships to your organization?

    • Developing a skilled workforce at a reasonable cost

    • Insuring the training is well-tailored to organizational needs

    • Watching apprentices learn and work before offering a full-time position

    • Limiting the costs of recruiting, training, and potentially high turnover of hiring skilled workers from the general labor market

    • Recouping some of the costs of training when apprentices contribute to the production process

    • Contributing to the company’s ability to become a “learning organization”


  1. What aspects, if any, of the apprenticeship program (established or expanded under AAI?) do you feel are most innovative? Effective?


  1. What improvements would cause employers to start apprenticeship programs or to offer a higher number of apprenticeships?


  1. To what extent do you think the apprenticeships your firm established or expanded under AAI could and should be replicated in other localities? What features of the apprenticeship program are most amenable to replication? What features are least amenable to replication? How does location, the target population served, or other distinctive features of your apprenticeship program make it either non-transferable or limit transferability?


  1. To date, what do you consider to be your firm’s most important accomplishments under the AAI grant?


  1. To date, what do you believe to be the main lessons learned from the AAI program for apprenticeship program design and operations?


  1. What innovations and lessons learned under the AAI program can contribute to efforts to encourage more employers to adopt apprenticeships?


  1. How can grantees encourage more employers to offer apprenticeships or expand their apprenticeship programs?


  1. Are there other ways that WDBs can be involved in the AAI Initiative? Are there other ways that AJCs can be involved in the AAI Initiative? Federal and state OA? Economic Development?



CHECKLIST OF ITEMS TO COLLECT FROM RESPONDENT (IF AVAILABLE)

  • Organizational chart or position descriptions

  • Intake process flow chart

  • AAI participant eligibility or intake form(s)

  • Assessment forms

  • Syllabus for the coursework or a topic outline for the training



SUPPLEMENTAL DISCUSSION GUIDE:

PRE-APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING PROGRAM COMPONENT


[Note: Omit this supplement if the AAI grant does not fund a pre-apprenticeship program component. If the firm does participate in a pre-apprenticeship program, ask only the questions relevant to the parts of the pre-apprenticeship program in which the firm is involved. If more than one pre-apprenticeship program component exists or training is provided for more than one type of occupation, where appropriate, ask about differences across occupations on each of the questions.]


  1. In which aspects of the pre-apprenticeship program is your firm involved? Consider the following:

  • Outreach and recruitment

  • Eligibility/screening

  • Assessment

  • Training

  • Support services

  • Other


  1. For which occupations is your firm involved in pre-apprenticeship training? Why were these occupations targeted?


  1. How long is the pre-apprenticeship program (per occupation, if applicable)?


  1. How many pre-apprentices do you need to enroll for the AAI grant? [Note: gather from grant application or other program documents and confirm with grantee.]


  1. Is your firm involved in recruiting pre-apprentices? If so, how do you market your program? Possibilities include (more than one may apply):

  • Referrals from AAI grantee

  • Distribution of flyers, posters

  • AAI program staff outreach presentations or orientations held in the area served (approximately, how many?)

  • Informational websites

  • Toll-free informational hotlines

  • Outreach campaigns using media (e.g., PSAs, TV, radio, newspaper, ads on buses/bus shelters)

  • Social media (e.g., LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) – please specify, which types of social media are used and how

  • Word-of-mouth

  • Primary partners


  1. Are you on pace to enroll the intended number of pre-apprentices? What is your goal (per occupation, if applicable)? If not, why?


  1. What populations have your firm targeted for special outreach to the pre-apprenticeship program? Why? Some possible special target groups include:

  • Incumbent workers

  • New entrants to the labor force

  • Long-term unemployed

  • Low income

  • Populations that may traditionally be underrepresented in apprenticeship, including:

    • Women

    • Men and women of color

    • Individuals with disabilities

    • Low-skilled populations

    • Veterans, including transitioning service members

    • Out-of-school youth

    • Formerly incarcerated individuals


  1. How successful has your firm been in recruiting individuals from underserved populations? Which groups have you been successful with and with which groups have you been unsuccessful? Do you have any thoughts on why?


  1. Have there been recruitment challenges? If so, what challenges have been encountered and how have they been addressed? Some possible challenges include:

  • Difficulty finding eligible participants

  • Many applicants have insufficient basic skill levels

  • Pre-apprenticeship period is too lengthy for some applicants

  • Some of the outreach strategies haven’t resulted in many applicants

  • Partners that were supposed to provide referrals have not provided them in sufficient numbers

  • Some applicants have difficulty getting to the program/employer location

  • Didn’t have enough resources for recruitment

  • Changing economic conditions in the areas has made recruitment more challenging

  • Other, please specify.


  1. Overall, what recruitment strategies have been most successful? Do you feel any of these strategies are new, unique and/or innovative?


  1. What are the eligibility requirements to enroll in your pre-apprenticeship program? Possibilities include:

    • Be from a specific subpopulation

    • Reside within a specific geographic area

    • Meet income eligibility requirements (and what are these requirements?)

    • Meet education level requirements (e.g. high school diploma, GED/HSED) or basic skill levels

    1. Who determines eligibility to participate in your pre-apprenticeship program?


  1. Is your firm involved in the selection of pre-apprentices? If yes, please describe this process including (if applicable):

    1. How are pre-apprenticeship candidates screened (by AAI grantee or other institution) before being sent to you for interviews?

    2. How does your firm determine whether an applicant is the right fit?

    3. What are the main reasons that applicants are screened out or fail to move through your intake process?


  1. If involved in selection, does your firm use any formal assessments for pre-apprentices (including formal tests such as the TABE, interest inventories, substance abuse screening)? [Note: Request copies of assessment forms, if relevant.]


  1. For the following, how many hours of instruction (i.e., classroom/web-based) are provided to pre-apprentices? Over what period of time does instruction occur?

    1. Educational and pre-vocational services (for example, job readiness courses, career awareness workshops, adult basic education (ABE)/English as a Second Language (ESL))?

    2. Vocational training?


  1. Where and how is training delivered to pre-apprentices (e.g., classroom, laboratory/shop, employer workplace, via web-based instruction)? Who are the training providers and what is the role of each provider?


  1. Are there innovative instructional methods being used as part of the pre-apprenticeship initiative? Please briefly discuss. Possibilities might include:

  • Accelerated learning modules

  • Contextualized learning

  • Team teaching

  • Self-paced learning

  • Competency-based learning

  • Prior learning assessments

  • Technology-enabled learning, such as use of simulators, on-line teaching/learning


  1. If both classroom instruction and workplace activities are incorporated into the pre-apprenticeship program, what is the balance between these two types of activities?


  1. Are pre-apprentices engaged in work experience or internships at one or more of your firm’s job sites? When and how many hours of work experience/internship are involved? Please briefly discuss whether and how much participants are paid, and the nature of these activities and how they might be connected to formal classroom instruction. If applicable, discuss differences across occupations for which AAI pre-apprenticeship training is being provided.


  1. Is the pre-apprenticeship training connected to higher education? If so, how? Do pre-apprentices receive post-secondary (college) credits, credentials, and/or certificates? Please specify types of credits/credentials/certificates received. Are assessments required to be passed in order to receive the credits/credentials/certificates? If applicable, discuss differences across industry sectors/occupations for which AAI pre-apprenticeship training is being provided.


  1. Is the pre-apprenticeship training connected to an apprenticeship offered by your firm? Another apprenticeship program(s)? If so, how? If relevant, are there apprenticeship slots available for all pre-apprentices who successfully complete the pre-apprenticeship program?


  1. To what extent are non-training supports provided, such as case management, career coaches/navigators counseling, or mentoring? If provided, how are these supports structured? If applicable, discuss differences across industry sectors/occupations for which AAI pre-apprenticeship training is being provided.


  1. To what extent are supportive services provided such as transportation assistance, childcare, work clothing/equipment, or needs-based payments? If provided, how are these supportive services structured and paid for? If applicable, discuss differences across industry sectors/occupations for which AAI pre-apprenticeship training is being provided.


  1. What, if any, post-completion services are provided to pre-apprenticeship completers? If applicable, discuss differences across industry sectors/occupations for which AAI pre-apprenticeship training is being provided. Possibilities include:

  • Referral to apprenticeship programs

  • Referral to other education or training programs

  • Help with paying for certification exams or obtaining credentialing

  • Job placement assistance

  • Job retention services

  • Provision or referral to supportive services


  1. What percentage of AAI participants completes pre-apprenticeship training? [Note: If available, collect this data from administrator sources prior to the visit or request data on attrition from the grantee.]

    1. Is attrition greater than expected? If so when and why does attrition typically occur?

    2. Are there certain types of participants that are more/less likely to complete pre-apprenticeship training?

    3. If applicable, discuss differences across occupations in your firm for which AAI pre-apprenticeship training is being provided.


  1. What percentage of pre-apprenticeship completers enters apprenticeship programs? [Note: If available, collect this data from administrator sources prior to the visit or request data on attrition from the grantee.]

    1. Are there factors that help explain the success or lack of success?

    2. If applicable, discuss differences across occupations for which AAI pre-apprenticeship training is being provided.


  1. What (if any) training participation and performance benchmarks are used for the AAI-funded pre-apprenticeship program?


  1. Has your firm faced any challenges in establishing the pre-apprenticeship training component? How have these challenges been addressed?


  1. What aspects, if any, of the pre-apprenticeship program component do you feel are most innovative? Effective?


  1. To what extent do you think the pre-apprenticeships your firm established or expanded under AAI could and should be replicated in other localities? What features of the pre-apprenticeship program are most amenable to replication? What features are least amenable to replication? How does location, the target population served, or other distinctive features of your pre-apprenticeship program make it either non-transferable or limit transferability?



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