OMB No. 1290-XXXX
Exp. Date XX/XX/2021
OMB Package
Evaluation of the American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI)
Site Visit Interview Guide:
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. This project 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 (DOL-ETA-16-F-00006) 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 training providers (e.g., community colleges, technical/trade /proprietary schools, career and technical education (CTE), other educational institutions, etc.). We are here to learn about your apprenticeship and/or pre-apprenticeship education and training service delivery model and understand how it was implemented under the AAI grant. Our aim is to learn from your experiences, not to audit or judge your programs.
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 GRANT INFORMATION AND PROGRAM CONTEXT
Verify with the respondent the following background information about the AAI grant. (Note: Collect and pre-fill this information prior to the visit from the grant application or other available documentation and verify with the respondent. For example, create a fact sheet based on the grant proposal, knowledge development matrix, and other available background material and send it in advance of the visit to the site for review and comment.)
Does the AAI grant fund apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship education and training?
___Apprenticeship-only
___Pre-apprenticeship-only
___Both apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship
[Note: If respondent offers pre-apprenticeship education and training, after completing this discussion guide, go through the Supplemental Discussion Guide for Programs with Pre-Apprenticeship Programs which is attached to the end of this guide.]
Overall AAI grant funds you receive for education and training services:
$________________
For apprenticeship education and training, please identify the following:
Industries targeted (may be more than one)
Occupations targeted (may be more than one)
[Note: If respondent offers apprenticeship training for more than one type of occupation, where appropriate, indicate differences across programs/industry sectors/occupations on each of the questions.]
What is your goal for the total number apprentices to be trained under the grant? What is the goal for each occupation or industry for which you train apprentices under the AAI grant?
Briefly describe your organization’s role in the AAI initiative. For example, at what point in the apprenticeship recruitment and selection process are you involved? What is the nature of your involvement with the AAI grantee at each step in the apprenticeship process, before, during and after you provide related technical instruction (RTI) to participants? Are you also an apprenticeship sponsor under the grant? How often do you communicate with the AAI grantee and in what ways? What data do you normally share with the AAI grantee about participants’ performance and progress? Other?
Please give me an overview of how you and the [AAI grantee] work together.
What is the extent of your organization’s prior experience with:
Pre-apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
WIOA or other workforce development programs/initiatives (if other, please explain)
Career pathways
AJCs
B. TARGET POPULATION AND PARTICIPANT RECRUITMENT
[Note: If training provider ONLY offers pre-apprenticeship, skip to Supplemental Discussion Guide for Programs with Pre-Apprenticeship Program.]
Do you assist in outreach/marketing apprenticeships? If so, how? [If not, go to Section C.] Possibilities include:
Distribution of flyers, posters or other educational/informational
Your staff or AAI program staff outreach presentations or orientations held at your organization’s site (e.g. current students at a community college, adult education, or community based organization program) or elsewhere in community (such as high schools, American Job Centers, community organizations) (might also obtain an estimate of how many presentations/orientations conducted by RTI)
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
What populations and/or subpopulations do you target for special outreach? Why have these populations/subpopulations been selected? As the AAI has progressed, have there been any changes in special populations targeted? If so, what are they? Why? Some possible special target groups include:
Current participants at your organization (if so, what type, e.g. students enrolled in relevant programs of study, students completing adult education, others)
Pre-apprenticeship program graduates
High school students
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 Youth
Individuals with disabilities
Low-skilled and/or limited English proficient populations
Veterans, including transitioning service members
Out-of-School Youth
Ex-offenders
What input has the AAI grantee provided on the target population?
Has your organization experienced 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 and/or limited English proficiency
Some applicants are not interested or motivated to participate in apprenticeship
Apprenticeship period is too lengthy for some applicants
Some of the outreach strategies haven’t resulted in many applicants
Partners that were supposed to provided referrals have not provided them in sufficient numbers
Some applicants have difficulty getting to the program/employer location (in addition to transportation issues, are there other issues such as child care and other family responsibilities and needs)
Didn’t have enough resources for recruitment
Changing economic conditions in the areas has made recruitment more challenging
Occupations offered for apprenticeship not attractive enough to target population (e.g. wages, working conditions, type of occupation, etc.)
Other, please specify
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?
C. AAI PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY, INTAKE, AND ASSESSMENT
Is your organization involved in eligibility determination and intake? If so, please describe your role.
[Note: If the RTI provider is not involved go to Section D.]
What are the main steps involved in the AAI-funded RTI enrollment process? Please provide an overview of the flow of new participants through RTI for the AAI program.
What are your requirements for participants to enroll in RTI funded under the AAI grant? [Note: Request copies of AAI education and training participant eligibility or intake form(s) if applicable.] Possibilities include:
Complete pre-apprenticeship program (i.e., for apprenticeship education and training)
Be from a specific subpopulation
Reside within a specific geographic area
Meet income eligibility requirements (and what are these)
Meet education level requirements (e.g. high school diploma, GED/HSED) and/or basic skill levels.
Pass a drug test
Not have felony conviction
Not have defaulted student loan
Pass screening for motivation
[If relevant],Which formal assessment tools/tests do you use to screen and/or place participants in AAI education and training services including formal tests such as the TABE, interest inventories, substance abuse screening)? If applicable, what are the minimum math, literacy, and English language scores required on these assessments? [Note: Request copies of assessment forms, if relevant.]
D. EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMPONENTS/SERVICES
How was your organization identified by the grantee to provide RTI to apprentices?
Did your organization provide similar training prior to the AAI?
If so, how long?
If not, or not in its current form, what new courses, training modules and/or postsecondary programs were created with AAI funds? Are there any other program components created with AAI funds?
How did you develop and implement the RTI? (E.g. who was involved within and outside of your organization, how did you decide on competencies and credentials, delivery mode, sequence of courses, articulation to higher level certificates, diplomas or degrees, etc.) What input did you receive from employers, training providers, other partners? (Might probe for employers input. Input from other training providers, if courses/credits/degrees/certificates transferrable?
What courses and/or training modules are part of RTI?
Are courses/credits/degrees/certificates transferable? What postsecondary credentials, if any, do apprentices receive? When do they receive them?
Do apprentices receive college credit for RTI that applies toward additional postsecondary credentials (certificates, technical diplomas, degrees)? If so, what are those credits and possible additional credentials they apply to? When do they receive the credits (e.g. along the way as they complete courses/modules and/or assessments? At completion of entire apprenticeship program?)
Is your organization’s RTI aligned with broader career pathways education and training opportunities? (If so ask for copies of relevant career pathway maps.)
How are occupational standards (industry-recognized credentials, state licensing requirements, etc.) used in the design of training?
What is the background of key instructors teaching AAI courses or modules? (Do they come from industry, are all career-technical education instructors or are some basic skills instructors, are they full-time or adjunct, how long have they been with organization?)
Is the AAI-funded education and training time-based (e.g., completion of specific numbers of credit or clock hours of training), competency-based or a combination of the two?
If time-based, what is the usual duration of apprenticeship training (in hours for clock hour programs, in # of credits and weeks for credit programs)? Is there variation in how long it takes an AAI participant to complete? If yes, what is the range of time (in weeks, months, or years) and why might it vary on a case-by-case basis? (E.g. may have to take remedial courses or prerequisites, may attend part-time, required course may be full or not offered when needed, may fail a course).
If competency-based, how is it determined that a participant has achieved the necessary level of competence to complete the education and training? How long on average does it take participants to attain that level?
How is apprenticeship education and training delivered?
What is the typical schedule of education and training instruction each week? Does this schedule change over the course of the apprenticeship?
Where and how is instruction provided (e.g., classroom, web-based, hybrid, laboratory/shop)?
Where is instruction provided (e.g., at your organization’s site or offsite, such as at an employer (and/or sponsor) worksite)?
Please provide a brief overview of the instruction provided in each required course or training module (e.g., topics covered in classroom instruction). [Note: If applicable, request a syllabus for the coursework or a topic outline for the training.]
Is any supplemental basic skills support provided (math, reading/writing, English language)? If so, is it through a separate basic skills class, a tutor, a computer lab, team teaching by career-technical and basic skills instructors, other?
If you provide instruction at the worksite, how is that designed and delivered? (E.g. is it simply delivering the same courses or training modules but at worksite facilities, or something more customized?) While involved in RTI, how many hours of work at a job/employer site does an apprentice complete (i.e., each week, month, or year). Does this vary over time and, if so, how?
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?
Who oversees and provide 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.
What is the supervisor-to-apprentice ratio during the apprenticeship period (e.g., 1 supervisor to 3 apprentices)? Does it change over time?
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?
Are there innovative instructional methods being used as part of the apprenticeship initiative? Please briefly discuss. Possibilities might include:
Accelerated learning
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, game-based learning, smartphone apps
Integrating basic skills instruction with technical instruction
Flipped classroom (lectures delivered online outside of classroom, classroom time devoted to applying content, such as working individually with students on assignments; role playing; project-based learning; hands-on lab work, etc.)
Has AAI funding been used for any of the following, and if so, how:
Tuition and other educational fees
Delivery of instructional requirements (e.g., virtual learning technology, classroom instructors)
Cost of training facilities, such as equipment
Books, computers, uniforms, tools, etc.
Does your organization provide non-training supports during the RTI period (e.g., case management, career coaches/navigators counseling, and mentoring)? If so, please describe.
Does your organization provide supportive services 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?
What, if any, does your organization provide post-completion services? If applicable, discuss differences across industry sectors/occupations for which AAI apprenticeship training is being provided. Possibilities include:
Referral to other apprenticeship, education or training programs
Help with paying for certification exams or obtaining credentialing
Job search or placement assistance
Job retention services
Provision or referral to supportive services
What percentage of apprentices completes RTI? Are there other measures you use for tracking interim progress or program success?
Is attrition higher than expected or about as expected? Are there certain types of apprentices that are more/less likely to complete?
What are the main reasons why participants do not complete? Which factors do you view as most important for success?
What aspects, if any, of the apprenticeship education and training and related services do you think are most innovative? Effective?
What challenges did your organization face in implementing apprenticeship training, and how were those challenges overcome?
What factors seem to explain success or lack of success for the apprenticeship program?
Which apprenticeship education and training and related services will your organization be able to sustain after the AAI grants end? What funding sources do you plan to use to sustain AAI services?
To what extent do you think your apprenticeship services could and should be replicated elsewhere? What features are most amenable to replication? What features are least amenable to replication? Are there ways in which your location, the target population served, occupations targeted, or other distinctive features of your program make it either non-transferable or limit transferability?
To date, what do you consider to be your most important accomplishments under the AAI grant?
To date, what do you believe to be the main lessons learned from your AAI grant for apprenticeship education and training design and operations?
E. AAI RTI PARTICIPATION LEVELS/CHARACTERISTICS AND EARLY OUTCOMES
[Note: Prior to site visit, collect available administrative data on participant enrollment levels, characteristics, and outcomes. If appropriate/feasible send data to education and training provider prior to the visit for review and comment.]
How many participants to date have been enrolled in RTI? [Note: Get information from QPR as appropriate.]
As part of the grant are you expected to serve a specific number of apprentices? Do you anticipate serving the expected number of apprentices? If not, why not?
What are the main demographic and socio-economic characteristics of your apprentices? What data, if any, is collected on apprentices other than what you are required to collect for the grantee and how is it used? [Note: Get information from QPR as appropriate. If the grantee has its own pre-formatted report on participant characteristics, request a copy.]
How many participants enrolled to date completed their RTI? Did they complete within the expected time period? If applicable, are you on track to achieve your overall goal (which is?) for RTI completions? If not, why not? [Note: If available, collect any statistical report or tally of participant outcomes to date that the grantee produces.]
Are there ways in which your organization has so far fallen short of its goals for RTI? If yes, how? Why?
What factors seem to explain success or lack of success for the apprenticeship program?
Are there other approaches, strategies, or services that you believe would contribute to better outcomes for apprentices?
F. AAI GRANT STAFFING AND COST/EXPENDITURES
What is the organizational structure for your apprenticeship training? Please describe AAI project staffing and management [Note: Request organizational chart for AAI grant.]
If available, number of AAI grant-funded staff and position(s)
CHECKLIST OF ITEMS TO COLLECT FROM RESPONDENT (IF AVAILABLE)
Background information about RTI provider
Additional documentation detailing key services, such as course syllabi, course or training topics and competencies, college and career navigation, etc., and credits and credentials included in design, career pathway maps
Evaluation reports that may have been prepared on apprenticeship education and training
Blank set of intake forms if applicable
Participant screening process and forms if applicable (e.g., assessments and minimum scores)
Diagram showing how participants flow through the program
Organizational chart for the RTI provider and position descriptions
Participant recruitment materials if applicable
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCUSSION GUIDE:
PRE-APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING PROGRAM COMPONENT
[Note: Omit this supplement if the AAI grant does not fund pre-apprenticeship education and training. If pre-apprenticeship training is provided for more than one type of occupation, where appropriate, indicate differences across programs/industry sectors/occupations on each of the questions.]
If not already discussed, for which industries and occupations are pre-apprenticeship training provided? Why were these industries/occupations targeted?
What is your goal for the number pre-apprentices trained under the AAI grant (and by pre-apprenticeship industry/occupation) ? [Note: gather from grant application or other program documents and confirm with grantee.]
A. TARGET POPULATION AND PARTICIPANT RECRUITMENT
Do you assist in marketing/outreach to prospective pre-apprenticeship participants? If so, how? [If not go to Section B.] Possibilities include:
Distribution of flyers, posters
Your staff or AAI program staff outreach presentations or orientations held at your organization’s site (e.g. current students at a community college, adult education, or community based organization program) or elsewhere in community (such as high schools, American Job Centers, community organizations) (might also obtain an estimate of how many presentations/orientations conducted by RTI)
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
What populations and/or subpopulations do you target for special outreach to the pre-apprenticeship program? Why have these populations/subpopulations been selected? As the AAI initiative has progressed, have there been any changes in special populations targeted? If so, what were they? Why? Some possible special target groups include:
Current participants at your organization (if so, what type, e.g. students enrolled in relevant programs of study, students completing adult education, others)
High school students
Incumbent workers
New entrants to the labor force
Long-term unemployed
Low income
Populations that may traditionally be underrepresented in apprenticeship, including:
Women
Young men and women of color
Individuals with disabilities
Low-skilled and/or limited English proficient populations
Veterans, including transitioning service members
Out-of-School Youth
Ex-offenders
What input has the AAI grantee provided you on the target population? Please describe.
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 and/or limited English proficiency
Apprenticeship period is too lengthy for some applicants
Some of the outreach strategies haven’t resulted in many applicants
Partners that were supposed to provided 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
Occupations offered for apprenticeship not attractive to target population (e.g. because of wages, working conditions, type of occupation, etc.)
Changing economic conditions in the areas has made recruitment more challenging
Other, please specify
Overall, what recruitment strategies have been most successful? Do you feel any of these strategies are new, unique and/or innovative?
B. AAI PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY, INTAKE, AND ASSESSMENT
Is your organization involved in eligibility determination of pre-apprentices? If not, go to Section C.]
[Note: Ask only if relevant] What are the main steps involved in the AAI pre-apprenticeship intake process? Please provide an overview of the flow of new recruits through the intake process, including:
What are the eligibility requirements to enroll in the pre-apprenticeship component funded under the AAI grant? [Note: Request copies of AAI pre-apprenticeship participant eligibility or intake form(s).] Possibilities include:
Be from a specific subpopulation
Reside within a specific geographic area
Meet income eligibility requirements
Meet education level requirements (e.g. high school diploma, GED/HSED) or basic skill levels
Pass a drug test
Not have felony conviction
Not have defaulted student loan
Pass screening for motivation
Who determines eligibility to participate in AAI pre-apprenticeship training?
During the intake process, which formal assessment tools/tests do you use to screen and/or place participants in AAI pre-apprenticeship education and training (including formal tests such as the TABE, interest inventories, substance abuse screening)? If applicable, what are the minimum math, literacy, and English language scores required on these assessments? [Note: Request copies of assessment forms, if relevant.]
C. EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMPONENTS/SERVICES
How did your organization become involved in the AAI grant?
Did your organization work with pre-apprentices before AAI?
If so, how long?
If not, or not in its current form, what new courses, training modules and/or postsecondary programs were created with AAI funds? Are there any other program components created with AAI funds?
Whether it existed before AAI or not, how did you go about creating education and training for the pre-apprenticeship program? (E.g. who was involved within and outside of your organization, how did you decide on competencies and credentials, delivery mode, sequence of courses, articulation to higher level certificates, diplomas or degrees, etc.)
What courses and/or training modules are part of your pre-apprenticeship education and training?
What secondary and/or postsecondary credentials, if any, are part of the pre-apprenticeship education and training? When do they receive them? If applicable, discuss differences across industry sectors/occupations for which AAI pre-apprenticeship training is being provided.
Do students receive high school or college credit for the pre-apprenticeship education and training that applies toward additional postsecondary credentials (certificates, technical diplomas, degrees)? If so, what are those credits and possible additional credentials they apply to? When do they receive the credits (e.g. along the way as they complete courses/modules and/or assessments? At completion of entire pre-apprenticeship program?)
Are your organization’s pre-apprenticeship education and training offerings aligned with broader career pathways education and training opportunities? (If so ask for copies of relevant career pathway maps.)
Are there other ways in which your pre-apprenticeship education and training is connected to postsecondary education?
How are occupational standards (industry-recognized credentials, state licensing requirements, etc.) used in the design of services?
What is the background of key instructors teaching pre-apprenticeship courses or modules? (Do they come from industry, are all career-technical education instructors or are some basic skills instructors, are they full-time or adjunct, how long have they been with organization?)
Are both classroom instruction and workplace activities incorporated into the pre-apprenticeship program? If so, what is the balance between these two types of activities? If applicable, discuss differences across industry sectors/occupations for which AAI pre-apprenticeship training is being provided.
Is the pre-apprenticeship education and training time-based (e.g., completion of specific numbers of credit and clock hours of training) or competency-based?
If time-based, what is the usual duration of participation in the pre-apprenticeship education and training (in hours for clock hour programs, in # of credits and weeks for credit programs)? Is there variation in how long it takes an AAI participant to complete the pre-apprenticeship component? If yes, what is the range (in weeks or months) and why might it vary on a case-by-case basis?
If competency-based, how is it determined that a participant has achieved the necessary levels of competence to complete the pre-apprenticeship component? How long on average does it take participants to attain that level?
If applicable, discuss differences across industry sectors/occupations for which AAI pre-apprenticeship training is being provided.
How is pre-apprenticeship education and training delivered? If applicable, discuss differences across industry sectors/occupations for which AAI pre-apprenticeship training is being provided.
What is the typical schedule for a pre-apprentice each week – e.g., 16 hours of formal classroom instruction and 20 hours of work experience/internship at a job site)? Does this schedule change over the course of the pre-apprenticeship?
How is instruction provided (e.g., classroom, web-based, hybrid, laboratory/shop)?
Where is instruction provided (e.g., at your organization’s site or offsite, such as at an employer worksite)??
Please provide a brief overview of the types and duration of instruction provided in each of the required courses or modules (e.g., topics covered in classroom instruction). [Note: If applicable, request a syllabus for the coursework or a topic outline for the training.]
Is any supplemental basic skills support provided (math, reading/writing, English language)? If so, is it through a separate basic skills class, a tutor, a computer lab, team teaching by career-technical and basic skills instructors, other?
If you provide instruction at the worksite, how is that designed and delivered? (E.g. is it simply delivering the same courses or training modules but at worksite facilities, or something more customized?)
If applicable, as part of the pre-apprenticeship program, are participants also engaged in work experience or an internship at an employer job site? When and how many hours of work experience/internship are involved? Please briefly discuss who sponsors the work experience/internships, whether and how much participants are paid, and the nature of these activities and how they might be connect to formal classroom instruction. If applicable, discuss differences across industry sectors/occupations for which AAI pre-apprenticeship training is being provided.
Are there innovative instructional methods being used as part of the pre-apprenticeship initiative? Please briefly discuss. Possibilities might include:
Accelerated learning
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, game-based learning, smartphone apps
Integrating basic skills instruction with technical instruction
Flipped classroom (lectures delivered online outside of classroom, classroom time devoted to applying content, such as working individually with students on assignments; role playing; project-based learning; hands-on lab work, etc.)
Has AAI funding been used for any of the following, and if so, how:
Tuition and other educational fees
Delivery of instructional requirements (e.g., virtual learning technology, classroom instructors)
Cost of training facilities, such as equipment
Books, computers, uniforms, tools, etc.
Is the pre-apprenticeship training connected to an apprenticeship program? If so, how? If relevant, are there apprenticeship slots available for all pre-apprentices who successfully complete the pre-apprenticeship program?
To what extent does your organization provide non-training supports, 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.
To what extent does your organization provide supportive services 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.
What, if any, does your organization provide post-completion services? 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 search or placement assistance
Job retention services
Provision or referral to supportive services
What percentage of AAI participants completes pre-apprenticeship training? Are there other measures you use for tracking interim progress or program success? [Note: If available, collect this data from administrator sources prior to the visit or request data on attrition from the grantee.]
Is attrition greater than expected? If so when and why does attrition typically occur?
Are there certain types of participants that are more/less likely to complete pre-apprenticeship training?
What are the main reasons why participants do not complete? Which factors do you view as most important for success?
If applicable, discuss differences across industry sectors/occupations for which AAI pre-apprenticeship training is being provided.
What percentage of your pre-apprenticeship completers enters apprenticeships? [Note: If available, collect this data from administrator sources prior to the visit or request data on attrition at transition stage from the grantee.]
Are there factors that help explain the success or lack of success?
Does your program take any particular actions to place completers in apprenticeship beyond referral? If so, describe.
If applicable, discuss differences across industry sectors/occupations for which AAI pre-apprenticeship training is being provided.
What (if any) training participation and performance benchmarks are used for the AAI-funded pre-apprenticeship program other than what has already been discussed? Are any incentives/incentive payments used to enhance performance?
Were any pre-apprenticeship training program components or service elements of the original program design not implemented or abandoned early on? If yes, which ones and why?
What aspects, if any, of the pre-apprenticeship program do you feel are most innovative? Effective?
To what extent do you think your pre-apprenticeship services could and should be replicated elsewhere? What features are most amenable to replication? What features are least amenable to replication? Are there ways in which your location, the target population served, occupations targeted, or other distinctive features of your program make it either non-transferable or limit transferability?
To date, what do you consider to be your most important accomplishments under the AAI grant?
To date, what do you believe to be the main lessons learned from your participation in the AAI grant?
Which pre-apprenticeship education and training and related services will your organization be able to sustain after the AAI grants end? What funding sources do you plan to use to sustain AAI services?
D. AAI EDUCATION AND TRAINING PARTICIPATION LEVELS/CHARACTERISTICS AND EARLY OUTCOMES
[Note: Prior to site visit, collect available administrative data on participant enrollment levels, characteristics, and outcomes. If appropriate/feasible send data to education and training provider prior to the visit for review and comment.]
How many participants do you expect to enroll in training? How many participants to date have been enrolled? [Note: Get information from QPR as appropriate.]
Do you anticipate enrolling as many pre-apprentices in training as planned by the end of the grant? If not, why not?
What are the main demographic and socio-economic characteristics of your pre-apprenticeship participants? What data, if any, is collected on these students other than/in addition to what you are required to collect for AAI and how is it used? [Note: Get information from QPR as appropriate. If the grantee has its own pre-formatted report on participant characteristics, request a copy.]
How many participants enrolled to date completed their pre-apprenticeship education and training? Have they completed within the expected time period? If not, why not? If applicable, are you on track to achieve your overall goal for AAI training completions? If not, why not? [Note: If available, collect any statistical report or tally of participant outcomes to date that the grantee produces.]
We would like to gather your views and any supporting data that you might have on the following outcomes for participants served 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.]
What kinds of credentials do pre-apprentices obtain? For example:
Interim credentials (describe)
High school equivalency credentials, such as those earned through the GED, HiSET or TASC exams (pre-apprentice only)
Occupational certificates or diplomas
Work readiness credentials (such as the National Career Readiness Certificate)
Industry-recognized credentials, including state licenses and certifications
Are there ways in which your organization has so far fallen short of its goals for training or assisting AAI participants? If yes, how? Why? If not, why and what do you attribute this to?
What factors seem to explain success or lack of success for the pre-apprenticeship program?
Are there other approaches, strategies, or services that you believe would contribute to better outcomes for program participants?
E. STAFFING
What is the organizational structure for your pre-apprenticeship training? Please describe AAI project staffing and management [Note: Request organizational chart for AAI grant.]
If available, number of AAI grant-funded staff and positions
CHECKLIST OF ITEMS TO COLLECT FROM SITE (IF AVAILABLE)
Background information about the training provider
Additional documentation detailing key services and components, such as course syllabi, course or training topics and competencies, college and career navigation, etc., and credits and credentials included in design, career pathway maps
Evaluation reports that may have been prepared on pre-apprenticeship education and training
Blank set of intake forms if applicable
Participant screening process and forms, as appropriate, including list of assessments and minimum scores
Diagram showing how participants flow through the program
Organizational chart for the program and position descriptions
Participant recruitment materials
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | ATTACHMENT 7 |
| Author | admined |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-20 |