ETA 9183 Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs Accrediting

Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs Accrediting Entity
Information

U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Apprenticeship
Employment and Training Administration
OMB No. 1205-XXXX
Expires XX/XX/XXXX

Who should use this form?
Consistent with the purposes articulated in the National Apprenticeship Act (29 U.S.C. 50), and the Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA)
Training and Employment Notice 3-18 (TEN), which is incorporated by reference in this form, Creating Industry-Recognized Apprenticeships to Expand
Opportunity in America, entities that intend to accredit the quality of eligible industry-recognized apprenticeship programs developed by, or on behalf of,
sponsoring employers or other organizations may submit the information requested in this form to ETA. Eligible entities include national certification and
accreditation bodies, trade and industry groups, companies, non-profit organizations, unions, joint labor-management organizations, and others. Based upon the
information submitted, the U.S. Department of Labor (Department or DOL) will determine whether the applicant is qualified to act as an accreditor of highquality industry-recognized apprenticeship programs.
How should the form be submitted?
The form must be submitted electronically using the online application system at www.apprenticeship.gov.
When should this form be submitted?
An entity must file this form when it first seeks a determination from the Department that it is qualified to act as an accreditor of industry-recognized
apprenticeship programs. If the Department issues a favorable determination, the entity must request an updated determination from the Department using this
form upon the earlier of: (1) making a substantive change to its accreditation process or (2) within five years of its most recent favorable determination.

Section I – Accrediting Entity Identifying Information
Employer Identification Number of Accrediting Entity

Website

Name of Accrediting Entity
Address
City

State

Zip Code

Contact Person

E-Mail Address

Telephone Number

Related Bodies (foundations, affiliates, parent/subordinate organizations): __________
Please list any confirmed or potential partners who will be engaged in your accreditation activities and describe their roles: __________
Attachment 1: Documentation of organization’s legal status. (Examples of acceptable documents: Articles of Incorporation, SEC filings, Tax
ID)
Scope of Certification(s) by occupation(s) to be issued: Please list the industries, occupations, and certifications your organization is seeking
to accredit.
Of the above certifications listed, which is/are your organization already qualified to grant: _____________
Does your organization sell, offer, or provide or plan to sell, offer, or provide off-the-shelf or custom apprenticeship programs or elements of
apprenticeship programs (e.g., training plans, mentoring programs)?
 Yes
 No
Where do you plan to accredit?
 National –in all 50 U.S. states and territories
 Regional –in at least three U.S. states/territories that are adjacent to each other
 State –in multiple non-adjacent U.S. states/territories or a single state
 Local –in multiple or single municipalities only
 Other (please specify)

Section II – Capabilities and Experience of the Accrediting Entity
A.

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Organization Operational Information: Please summarize your organization’s operations, covering all of the following elements:
• Your organizational structure (ATTACHMENT REQUIRED – ORG CHART), including:
o Lines of authority and responsibility of those associated with the apprenticeship programs and credentials offered
o Depiction of separation between the individuals who assess the apprenticeship program and the individuals who make the
accreditation decision
• CONDITIONAL QUESTION: If your organization also sells or otherwise offers off-the-shelf or custom apprenticeship programs,
program elements (e.g., training plans), and/or services to a program, describe in detail any organization structures or reporting
relationships that separate or otherwise ensure your organization’s objectivity between the programs/elements/services it offers and the
programs it accredits and oversees.
• How your organization has acquired, or has developed plans to acquire, the financial resources to sustain the program for the next five
years (ATTACHMENT REQUIRED – FINANCIAL STATEMENT).

ETA Form 9183_

Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs Accrediting Entity
Information

B.

U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Apprenticeship
Employment and Training Administration
OMB No. 1205-XXXX
Expires XX/XX/XXXX
Organizational Qualifications: Please describe your organization’s qualifications, experience, capability, and validity in performing as
an accreditor, covering all of the following elements:
• Your organization’s qualifications (in detail) to serve as an accreditor of high-quality industry-recognized apprenticeship programs, and
to evaluate the classroom and workplace-education standards, structure, and curricula for an industry-recognized apprenticeship
program in a given industry sector or occupational cluster.
• How your organization has the standing and national reach to serve as an accreditor of industry-recognized apprenticeship programs
offering certifications by occupation. As part of your response, you should explain your organization’s capability for obtaining
substantial, broad-based input, support, and consensus from employers and industry experts in the relevant industry sector(s).
• Your organization’s experience conducting accrediting, credentialing, or certifying activities of similar work-based learning, training,
and/or credential programs (required: at least 2 years of experience and/or at least two cohorts of completed/graduated accreditations,
credentials, or certificates).
• The names and qualifications/competencies of the individuals who will be directly involved in the accreditation process to evaluate the
work-based experiences and education related instruction of programs your organization will accredit and oversee.

Section III – Evaluating and Overseeing Elements of a High-Quality Apprenticeship Program
Please describe your organization’s specific policies and procedures for evaluating and overseeing high-quality industry-recognized
apprenticeship programs so that the IRAP(s) it accredits and oversees have documented and verifiable evidence of all elements of a high-quality
apprenticeship program.
A.

Paid Work Component: Please describe your organization’s specific policies and procedures for evaluating and overseeing each
program’s Paid Work Component, specifically that each program:
• Has evidence that it will pay apprentices at least the minimum wage (according to Federal, state, and local requirements) or a
Federally-approved stipend under Federal wage requirements.
• Has defined circumstances under which the wages of its apprentices will increase.
• Will provide participants the opportunity to gain upward mobility in their chosen occupation or industry.

B.

On-the-Job Instruction/Work Experience: Please describe your organization’s specific policies and procedures for evaluating and
overseeing each program’s On-the-Job Instruction/Work Experience, specifically that each program:
• Has documented, well-designed, and highly structured work experiences for apprentices.
• Will provide mentorship opportunities for apprentices.

C.

Classroom Instruction, Educational Partners, and Educational Credentials: Please describe your organization’s specific policies and
procedures for evaluating and overseeing each program’s Classroom Instruction, Educational Partners, and Educational Credentials,
specifically that each program:
• Will provide or arrange for high-quality classroom or related instruction that helps apprentices gain occupational proficiency, earn
occupational credentials or certifications, and/or receive college credit. If the program will not provide such instruction directly, the
sponsor-applicant organization must identify potential educational partners, such as a vendor, community college, occupational school,
or any other entities qualified to provide the instruction and ensure it is integrated with work experience, and must provide the
following information about each of those entities:
o Potential educational partners of related instruction
o Address(es) of potential educational partners
o Type of instruction (college class, vocation education, online, etc.)
o Point of contact(s) at the institution(s)
o Credential or certification(s) gained at educational institution
• Also summarize how your proposed evaluative processes support the development of high-quality instruction related to work
experience.

D.

Occupations and Occupational Credentials: Please describe your organization’s specific policies and procedures for evaluating and
overseeing each program’s Occupations and Occupational Credentials, specifically that each program:
• Provides a nationally portable and industry-recognized credential to all apprentices successfully completing its program.
• Has documented information about the credential(s) it offers in its program, including a description of generally accepted credentials
for the industry, the portability benefits that such credentials are expected to confer, and whether the programs the applicant will

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ETA Form 9183_

Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs Accrediting Entity
Information

U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Apprenticeship
Employment and Training Administration
OMB No. 1205-XXXX
Expires XX/XX/XXXX
accredit will lead to the receipt of one of those existing credentials.1 In sectors where independent credentials exist and are not issued
by the apprenticeship program, they must identify the alternative credential that they will offer. Please include all the following:
o Occupation(s)
o O*NET Code2 for occupation(s)
o Name of credential(s)
o Organization issuing the credential(s)
o Average time required to obtain credential(s)
o Transferrable or portable credential (please choose one: yes, no, unsure)

E.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Requirements: Please describe your organization’s specific policies and procedures for
evaluating and overseeing each program’s Equal Employment Opportunity Requirements, specifically that each program:
• Will adhere to all applicable Federal, state, and local laws and regulations pertaining to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO).
• Has comprehensive outreach strategies to reach diverse populations.
• Has documented processes to keep its workplace free from harassment, intimidation, and retaliation (including the provision of antiharassment training and the establishment of procedures for handling equal opportunity and harassment complaints).

Section IV – Policies and Procedures
A.

General Accreditation Processes: Please describe your organization’s proposed general processes, policies, and procedures for
accrediting and overseeing high-quality industry-recognized apprenticeship programs, covering all of the following elements:
• Your organization’s proposed processes for accreditation of high-quality industry-recognized apprenticeship programs, and removal of
such accreditation, in their industries or occupational clusters.
• The different types of accreditation statuses (e.g. probationary, preliminary, etc.) and how they will be made public.
• The accreditation cycle and the rationale/evidence used to determine the length of cycle.
• How your organization’s proposed accreditation process will result in nationally portable, industry-recognized, competency-based
standards.
• How your organization will require the programs it accredits to provide a safe working environment for apprentices that adheres to all
applicable Federal, state, and local safety laws and regulations.

• ATTACHMENTS REQUIRED:
o Copy of the application an industry-recognized apprenticeship program must submit to your organization for accreditation, as well
as any instructions.
o Template of the certificate to be issued when accreditation is awarded. Both of the following items must be included on the final
certificate:
- The effective date of the accreditation decision
- The length of the accreditation
o Copy (or template) of your organization’s generic IRAP agreement with apprenticeship program(s). Agreement must include:
- Commitment to fulfill the requirements of the accreditation to be offered
- Access to personnel, facilities, and documents as needed
- Claim accreditation(s) are only to the granted scope
- Affirmation that your organization does not offer other services that would affect the impartiality of the program(s) OR if your
organization has offered other services to this program, information on how your organization has provided for impartiality via
specific policies, processes, procedures, and/or structures
- Attestation that your organization does not provide any consultative services to the apprenticeship program(s) OR if your
organization has offered consultative services to this program, information on how your organization has mitigated any potential
conflicts of interest via specific policies, processes, procedures, and/or structures
B.

Data and Records Collection, Management, and Retention: Please summarize the approach, infrastructure, and systems your
organization will maintain to collect data and report on required elements of your accreditation program, covering all of the following
elements:
• Your process for providing documentation of a substantive change made to your organization’s processes after DOL approval has been
granted. Note that this must be provided to the Department within 15 days of the change. (A substantive change would include any
major change that could affect the operations of the program, including financial or personnel changes to the accreditation process,
lawsuits, legal status, or any other circumstances your organization believes should be reported.)

1

The Department also encourages accrediting organizations to identify industry-recognized apprenticeship programs that offer college credit in connection
with classroom or related instruction.
2
The O*NET Program is the nation’s primary source of occupational information. Valid data are essential to understanding the rapidly changing nature of
work and how it impacts the workforce and U.S. economy. Applicants may find the ONET code for the occupations they plan to accredit at
https://www.onetonline.org/.
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ETA Form 9183_

Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs Accrediting Entity
Information

U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Apprenticeship
Employment and Training Administration
OMB No. 1205-XXXX
Expires XX/XX/XXXX
• Your process, systems, policies, and procedures for maintaining all records relating to the following for a term of five (5) years after
the termination of a program:
o Personnel related to each apprenticeship program(s) you accredit and oversee
o Subcontracting agreements
o Formal complaints and appeals (including those currently in its possession)
o Legal status
• Your process, systems, policies, and procedures for retaining and making available to the Department up-to-date contact information
for all the industry-recognized apprenticeship programs your organization accredits for the term of the DOL approved determination.

Please summarize the approach your organization will take to ensure that your organization will retain and make available to the public
annual performance and outcome related metrics and data for each of the programs it recognizes. These performance and outcome related
metrics should include the following:
• Total number of apprentices enrolled in each program
• Total number of apprentices who successfully completed the program
• Completion rate for apprentices
• Median length of time for program completion
• Employer retention rate of apprentices who successfully complete the program
• Information on the return on investment for each program sponsor
• Post-apprenticeship employment rate of apprentices within a year of successfully completing the program
• Pre and post program wages for apprentices

C.

Accreditor and Accreditation Integrity: Please describe the approach your organization will take to ensure transparency, accountability,
impartiality, confidentiality, objectivity, and independence, covering all of the following elements:
• The policies and procedures your organization will implement so that the industry-recognized apprenticeship programs it evaluates
receive objective, impartial, confidential, and equitable treatment in decision-making, and will be evaluated on the merits of the
program(s).
• CONDITIONAL QUESTION: If your organization plans to develop and sell, offer, or provide off-the-shelf programs or program
elements (e.g., training plans), please detail the policies and procedures your organization will implement so that its off-the-shelf
programs or program elements are evaluated and overseen in an objective, impartial, and equitable manner as compared with programs
and/or program elements developed by other vendors or by the program sponsor.
• Your complaints and appeals process.
Please describe how your organization maintains or will maintain quality in its accreditation and in the IRAPs it accredits, covering all of
the following elements:
• Your quality assurance process, specifically:
o Your assessment processes to ensure the competencies of the apprenticeship program are being achieved
o The monitoring process that will be implemented during the accreditation cycles
o Your process to continually improve your accreditation program and submit all apprentice feedback from your two most recently
completed accreditation, certification, and/or credentialing cohorts/cycles
• How and how often your organization trains assessors to ensure there is consistency (inter-rater reliability) of accreditation decisions
from program to program.
• How your organization validated your accreditation standards with the industry, including how the standard is made available to all
interested parties and how your organization assesses the evidence submitted by an apprenticeship program in determining whether that
program meets the requirements of the standard.

Section V – Additional Representations of Program Quality by the Accrediting Entity
A.

B.

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Accrediting Body Record Retention: Please affirm that, if your organization receives a favorable determination from the U.S.
Department of Labor that it is qualified to act as an accreditor of industry-recognized apprenticeship programs, your organization will
maintain all records relating to the following: personnel related to the apprenticeship program(s), subcontracting agreements, formal
complaints and appeals (including those currently in its possession), and legal status for a term of five (5) years after the termination of
the DOL approval period during which the records were created.
 Yes, I affirm
 No, I do not affirm
Contact Information: Please affirm that, if your organization receives a favorable determination from the U.S. Department of Labor that
it is qualified to act as an accreditor of industry-recognized apprenticeship programs, your organization will retain and make available to
the Department up-to-date contact information for all of the industry-recognized apprenticeship programs it accredits for the term of the
DOL approved determination.
 Yes, I affirm
 No, I do not affirm
ETA Form 9183_

Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs Accrediting Entity
Information

C.

D.

E.

F.

U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Apprenticeship
Employment and Training Administration
OMB No. 1205-XXXX
Expires XX/XX/XXXX
Safe Workplaces: Please affirm that, if your organization receives a favorable determination from the U.S. Department of Labor that it is
qualified to act as an accreditor of industry-recognized apprenticeship programs, your organization it will ensure that each program
provides a safe working environment for apprentices that adheres to all applicable Federal, state, and local safety laws and regulations.
 Yes, I affirm
 No, I do not affirm
Data and Performance Metrics: Please affirm that, if your organization receives a favorable determination from the U.S. Department of
Labor concerning its qualifications to act as an accreditor of industry-recognized apprenticeship programs, your organization will retain
required documentation for the period of time you hold the DOL approved determination, and make available to the public annually the
following performance- and outcome-related metrics for each of the industry-recognized apprenticeship programs it accredits:
 Yes, I affirm
 No, I do not affirm
Conflict of Interest: Please affirm that your organization does not provide any consultative services to apprenticeship programs and does
not offer other services that could affect the impartiality of the programs it accredits, OR that it has provided – via response to this
application – evidence of its ability to mitigate its potential conflicts of interest.
 Yes, I affirm
 No, I do not affirm
Debarments and Injunctions: Please affirm that your organization has no relevant injunctions, debarments, or other restrictions on it
which may prevent it from being permitted to do business with the U.S. Federal Government and/or with members of its industry sector.
 Yes, I affirm
 No, I do not affirm

Section VI – Attestation
The individual listed below, as a representative of the accrediting entity described in Section I of this form, hereby certifies that all of the
information disclosed in this form is true and complete, to the best of his or her knowledge.
______________________
Signature

________________________
Print Name

____________
Date

Confidentiality – Under this collection, the name of a potential accreditor will be posted on www.apprenticeship.gov, if the U.S. Department of Labor issues a
favorable determination letter with respect to the entity. While information collected by this form is generally subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA), Exemption #4 of FOIA (at 5 U.S.C. §552(b)(4)) affords protection to submitters who are asked to furnish commercial or financial
information to the Federal Government (such as the potential accreditors of industry-recognized apprenticeship programs) by safeguarding them from the
competitive disadvantages that could result from disclosure. In addition, all documents and other information in an application become public information
when submitted unless: (1) particular items are specifically designated as confidential or (2) the Office of Apprenticeship determines particular information
appears to be confidential. However, neither of these two conditions guarantees confidentiality. If either condition applies, the Office of Apprenticeship will
provide an applicant an opportunity to object to disclosure of the information. For more information, see 29 CFR part 70, “Production and Disclosure of
Information or Materials.”
Public Burden Statement – Persons are not required to respond to this collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average approximately 33 hours and 10 minutes per response, including the time for
reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.
Subsequent substantive changes, if needed, are estimated to require an average of 10 hours per response. The obligation to respond is required to obtain a
favorable determination from the Department under 29 U.S.C. 50. Send comments regarding this burden or any other aspect of this collection of information
including suggestions for reducing this burden to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room C-5321,
Washington, D.C. 20210 (OMB Control Number 1205-XXXX).

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ETA Form 9183_