Employer Survey

American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI) Evaluation Employer Survey

OMB No. 1290-XXXX

Exp. Date XX/XX/2021

For employer respondents: 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 0.5 hours per employer 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 voluntary for employers. 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 survey instrument to the email or mailing address.

For grantee respondents: 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 1.5 hours per grantee 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 a benefit for grantees. 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 survey instrument to the email or mailing address.

Instructions

Thank you for participating in this important study. Your responses will provide valuable information to help better understand the value of apprenticeships, and identify ways to better design and promote apprenticeship programs to employers. Please answer the questions to the best of your ability. Please ask colleagues for information if any items would be better answered by another member of your firm, such as a Human Resource representative or an apprentice’s mentor. The survey should take about 30 minutes to complete. You may need to gather information in advance of beginning the survey, such as information on employee wages or productivity, and/or consult with colleagues. For your convenience, we have attached a glossary of technical terms. If you have any questions about the survey, please call our toll-free helpline for assistance, at XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Survey

1. Employer Background

I-1 Which of the following best describes your firm’s industry? (choose one)

• Accommodation and Food Services

• Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services

• Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting

• Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation

• Construction

• Educational Services

• Finance and Insurance

• Health Care and Social Assistance

• Information

• Management of Companies and Enterprises

• Manufacturing

• Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction

• Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

• Public Administration

• Other Services (except Public Administration)

• Real Estate Rental and Leasing

• Retail Trade

• Transportation and Warehousing

• Utilities

• Wholesale Trade

• Other (please specify): __________________________

I-2 Approximately how many are employed at the location where apprentices work? (in Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs))

• Less than 50 FTEs

• 50-99 FTEs

• 100-500 FTEs

• More than 500 FTEs

I-3 In the past year, how difficult has it been to hire good candidates for skilled positions?

• Very difficult

• Somewhat difficult

• Not very difficult

• Not difficult at all

2. Recruitment

II-1. We are interested in learning more about the types of apprenticeship programs employers sponsor or hire from. Please list up to three occupations for which your company sponsors apprenticeships or hires apprentices, starting with the program that has the largest number of apprentices hired. For each occupation, please enter the number of apprentices that have been hired to date as well as the hiring date for the earliest cohort of apprentices hired for each program.

Occupation (Text) Number of Apprentices Hiring date

1. (i) _________________ (ii) _________ apprentices (iii) __/__/____

2. (i) _________________ (ii) _________ apprentices (iii) __/__/____

3. (i) _________________ (ii) _________ apprentices (iii) __/__/____

[Program will select OCC as the occupation with the most apprentices; ties broken randomly]

II-2. Which of the following best characterizes the type of AAI registered apprenticeship program your firm uses in [OCC – this will be autofilled depending on what the respondent lists in in II-1]?

• Independent program, non joint

(single employer, not covered by collective bargaining agreement).

• Independent program, joint

(single employer, covered by a collective bargaining agreement.)

• Group program, non joint

(multi-employer association that is not covered by a collective bargaining agreement.)

• Group program, joint

(multi-employer association, covered by a collective bargaining agreement.)

DIRECTIONS: The next questions ask you to imagine how you would fill the position in your firm if you did not hire (an) apprentice(s) in [OCC autofilled here/throughout]. The questions use the term “skilled individual.” This means someone with a skill set and familiarity with your firm that is adequate to fill the same position as an apprentice would have at the end of her/his apprenticeship.

II-3. If you did not have apprentices in [OCC], would you be more likely to fill this position by hiring a fully qualified individual into [OCC] from the outside or by training and promoting one of your current employees into a fully qualified status in [OCC]? If you might use both, which would you expect to use most?

_____________ hiring from outside

(GO TO II-4)

_____________ training/promoting

(GO TO II-7)

II-4. What is your estimate of how long it would take to fill this position by hiring a skilled individual into [OCC]?

______________months

II-5. What is your estimate of the hiring costs (such as recruitment costs and fees to an agency) of filling the position in [OCC] with a skilled individual from outside your firm?

• $0 - $499

• $500 - $999

• $1,000 - $2,999

• $3,000 – $4,999

• $5,000 +

II-6. If you filled the position in [OCC] with an already-skilled individual instead of an apprentice, what would be the hourly wage of that skilled worker when hired?

$ _ _ . _ _ per hour

(GO TO SECTION III)

II-7. What is your estimate of how long it would take to promote and train a current employee into a fully qualified position in [OCC]?

______________months

II-8. What is your estimate of the non-wage costs to your company associated with promoting and training a current employee into a position in [OCC] without putting them through the apprenticeship program? Non-wage costs may include additional training to move the employee into the new position or the cost of reviewing and interviewing internal applicants for the position.

• $0 - $499

• $500 - $999

• $1,000 - $2,999

• $3,000 – $4,999

• $5,000 +

II-9. If you filled the position of a fully qualified individual in [OCC] with a current employee who you have promoted and trained, what would that employee’s hourly wage become when promoted?

$ _ _ . _ _ per hour

3. Apprenticeship Characteristics

DIRECTIONS: Now we want to ask about your actual experiences with apprenticeships.

III-1. a) How long does it take for a typical apprentice in [OCC] to successfully complete the apprenticeship at your company? If progression and completion are determined by mastery of competencies, please provide the typical length of time it takes to master all competencies.

______________ YEARS

b) How many steps (or pay progressions) does an apprentice in [OCC] take to complete an apprenticeship? Please assume the apprentice starts on the first step.

_______________ STEPS

III-2. We are interested in the retention rates of apprentices. For the typical cohort of apprentices (that is, apprentices that started at the same time?), please identify the number of apprentices persisting to each wage step:

[Number of steps to be automatically filled in based on answer to III-1b.]

	Number of apprentices persisting to this wage step
Starting size of typical cohort	_________ apprentices
First wage step	_________ apprentices
Second wage step	_________ apprentices
Third wage step	_________ apprentices
Fourth wage step	_________ apprentices
Fifth wage step	_________ apprentices
Sixth wage step	_________ apprentices

4. Experience with a Specific Apprentice

DIRECTIONS: In order to better understand the employer’s costs and benefits from participating in apprenticeships, the study team would like to know more about apprentices’ wages and productivity at each wage step. Please identify the apprentice [APPRENTICE] whose last name appears first alphabetically who has completed the program and was in the first cohort for the [OCC] apprenticeship program.

NOTE: This section and the following section may be most easily answered by [APPRENTICE]’s mentor or supervisor.

IV-1. We would like to know about [APPRENTICE]’s wages and productivity at each wage step. Please provide (1) [APPRENTICE]’s hourly wage for each wage step, (2) the number of hours [APPRENTICE] worked at that step, (3) [APPRENTICE]’s productivity compared to a fully qualified worker in [OCC] (measured as a percentage of the fully qualified worker’s productivity), and (4) the number of hours for which [APPRENTICE] was paid while in related technical instruction. If your wage progression is determined by mastery of competencies please provide the average or typical number of hours that an apprentice will work at this step of the wage progression.

For example, if [APPRENTICE]’s job performance per week is about half of what you would expect from a fully qualified worker in [OCC], then [APPRENTICE]’s relative performance would be 50%; if [APPRENTICE]’s job performance is approximately the same as a fully qualified worker, then [APPRENTICE]’s productivity compared to a fully qualified worker would be 100%.

[Number of steps to be automatically filled in based on answer to III-1-b.]

	Hourly wage (base, not including benefits, overhead, or indirect costs)	Total hours worked at this wage rate (not in related technical instruction)	% Productive compared to a fully qualified worker	Total hours paid while in related technical instruction
First wage step	$__ __.__ __	_____ hours	_____ percent	_____ hours
Second wage step	$__ __.__ __	_____ hours	_____ percent	_____ hours
Third wage step	$__ __.__ __	_____ hours	_____ percent	_____ hours
Fourth wage step	$__ __.__ __	_____ hours	_____ percent	_____ hours
Fifth wage step	$__ __.__ __	_____ hours	_____ percent	_____ hours
Sixth wage step	$__ __.__ __	_____ hours	_____ percent	_____ hours

IV-2. What is the cost of [APPRENTICE]’s non-wage benefits, such as health care benefits or employer’s share of payroll taxes, not including payments for related training instruction or supplies, for one full year: (You may answer with a percent of wages or dollar amount)

__________ dollars [__________ percent]

IV-3. What was the cost to your business of training supplies or supply wastage associated with [APPRENTICE]’s apprentice training? By “training supplies or supply wastage” we mean supplies that were used only for training rather than sale or that were wasted because of apprentices’ mistakes. Do not include supplies that were used in normal production activities by the apprentice or wastage that you would consider to be normal for a skilled worker.

How much did you pay for tuition, fees, books, and equipment for [APPRENTICE]’s related technical instruction? Do not include the tuition and fees or expenses paid by the apprentices themselves or by a partner organization that assists in hiring your apprentices.

[Number of steps to be automatically filled in based on answer to III-1-b.]

	Training supplies or supply wastage	Tuition, fees, etc.
First wage step	$__ __.__ __	$__ __.__ __
Second wage step	$__ __.__ __	$__ __.__ __
Third wage step	$__ __.__ __	$__ __.__ __
Fourth wage step	$__ __.__ __	$__ __.__ __
Fifth wage step	$__ __.__ __	$__ __.__ __
Sixth wage step	$__ __.__ __	$__ __.__ __

IV.-4. In a typical week, what percent of time did [APPRENTICE]’s mentor (denoted MENTOR) spend in training or supervising [APPRENTICE]? During that supervision time, what was MENTOR’s productivity as a percent of his/her normal productivity? For example, if MENTOR was providing hands-on training to [APPRENTICE] and they were jointly producing output, then MENTOR’s relative productivity might be only 50% of their usual productivity. What was MENTOR’s [base, non-loaded] hourly wage?

[Number of steps to be automatically filled in based on answer to III-1-b.]

	Percent time spent training/supervising	MENTOR’s relative productivity compared to normal	MENTOR’s hourly wage (base, not including benefits, overhead, or indirect costs)
First wage step	_____ percent	_____ percent	$__ __.__ __
Second wage step	_____ percent	_____ percent	$__ __.__ __
Third wage step	_____ percent	_____ percent	$__ __.__ __
Fourth wage step	_____ percent	_____ percent	$__ __.__ __
Fifth wage step	_____ percent	_____ percent	$__ __.__ __
Sixth wage step	_____ percent	_____ percent	$__ __.__ __

5. Apprenticeship Completer’s Productivity

You indicated that [APPRENTICES] has completed successfully their apprenticeship.

V-1 Is [APPRENTICE] still at your company?

______ Yes

______ No longer at company (SKIP to VI-1.)

If so, how many months (including the apprenticeship) has [APPRENTICE] worked for your firm since the beginning of their apprenticeship?

______ Months employed since the beginning of apprenticeship

V-2. We are interested in how wages compare between apprentices and non-apprentice employees with the same tenure and skills as the apprentice. Have you hired or do you have a non-apprentice [OCC] employee with a similar tenure and skill set as [APPRENTICE]?

______ Yes

______ No longer at company (SKIP to VI-1.)

V-3. What is the non-apprentice [OCC] employee’s hourly wage?

$_ _ ._ _/hour

V-4. What is the non-apprentice [OCC] employee’s productivity relative to [APPRENTICE]?

_____________% (May be more or less than 100%)

V-5. What is the non-apprentice [OCC] employee’s annual work hours?

_____________hours

If you hired or have a non-apprenticed employee in the same [OCC] who has about the same TENURE and skills as [APPRENTICE], what would each employees’ hourly wages be, and how would you rate [APPRENTICE]’s performance relative to the non-apprenticed employee? (If they are equally productive, then the relative productivity would be 100%. If [APPRENTICE] seems to be 20% more productive, then the relative productivity would be 120%.)

1. _______ My company has not hired a non-apprentice employee in the same [OCC] and with about the same TENURE and skills as [APPRENTICE] currently has. (SKIP to VI-1)
   
   

2. [APPRENTICE]’s current hourly wage rate $ _ _ . _ _/hour

3. Non-apprentices hourly wage rate $_ _ ._ _/hour

4. [APPRENTICE]’s productivity relative to Non-apprentice _____________%

May be more or less than 100%

5. [APPRENTICE]’s annual work hours ________ hours

6. Other Costs and Benefits of the Apprenticeship Program

VI-4. What would you estimate was the total cost of registering your apprenticeship program in [OCC], including the cost of staff time spent in planning, setting up, and getting approval for the program and one-time payments or fees paid to partner organizations or contractors helping you set up the program? Do not include any costs that were covered or reimbursed by a partner organization that assisted you in developing the program:

__________ dollars

VI-4. Has your company experienced any of the following additional benefits from hiring apprentices in [OCC] that have likely improved your company’s profits?

Benefit	Has occurred, and likely improved firm’s profitability
Reduced turnover	Y N
Improved pipeline of skilled employees	Y N
Development of future managers	Y N
Improved productivity of co-workers	Y N
Improved firm culture	Y N
Product or process innovation	Y N
Employee engagement and loyalty	Y N
Reduced use of overtime	Y N
Reduced downtime	Y N
More on-time delivery	Y N

VI-5. On a scale from one to five, where one is not important and five is very important, how important were these additional benefits of the apprenticeship program, compared to the benefit of increasing the productivity of [APPRENTICE]:

• 1 – not important compared to the benefit of increasing the productivity of apprentices

• 2 – somewhat important

• 3 – equally important

• 4 – more important

• 5 – very important compared to the benefit of increasing the productivity of apprentices

END OF SURVEY. THANK YOU PROTOCOL.