Participant Survey Info and Consent

1. Email from research team to AAI apprentices for participant survey

[Note: the following message will be sent by Abt to a subsample of participants affiliated with AAI grantees.]

TO: ENROLLEE_FIRSTNAME ENROLLEE_LASTNAME

FROM: AAI Evaluation Email Account

SUBJECT: Tell us about your experiences with apprenticeship!

[ENROLLEE_PROGRAMNAME] at [ENROLLEE_CAMPUSNAME]

MESSAGE:

Dear ENROLLEE_FIRSTNAME ENROLLEE_LASTNAME,

We are conducting a 30-minute survey about apprenticeship experiences to help the U.S Department of Labor (DOL) identify what is working well with apprenticeship programs and ways to improve them. We are contacting you because of your participation in a registered apprenticeship program through the American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI) that is funded by DOL. We’d like to learn about your apprenticeship experience. We will send you a $25 gift card in appreciation of your time for completing the survey.

The survey is being conducted by Abt Associates, an independent research organization. The responses you provide will be seen only by the researchers.

To access the online survey, please go to this link: [INSERT]. Clicking this link will take you to an introductory page where we describe the study and survey in greater detail.

You can find more information about this study online at https://www.dol.gov/asp/evaluation/currentstudies/Evaluation-of-the-American-Apprenticeship-Initiative.htm. If you have any questions about the study or need assistance when completing the survey, please contact us at [INSERT STUDY EMAIL ADDRESS/HOTLINE].

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Sincerely,

Karen Gardiner, AAI Evaluation Project Director, Abt Associates

2. Webpages of Apprentice Survey (Landing page, consent, and OMB/Instructions)

Landing page of Apprentice Survey

[Note: The text below will appear when the individual clicks on the survey link in the previous email. It will be the first page of the survey and will appear before the informed consent. The landing page will likely have the U.S DOL logo and research teams’ logos.]

American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI) Evaluation

Apprentice Survey

Thank you for your interest in responding to the Apprentice Survey. This survey is a part of an evaluation, sponsored by the U.S Department of Labor (DOL) for the American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI). By completing the survey, you will help researchers better understand the experience of apprentices. Your responses are important and will help identify ways to improve apprenticeships. Ultimately, this will help DOL further develop apprenticeship programs and expand apprenticeship opportunities.

On the next page we will provide you with detailed information about the survey. This is a part of our informed consent process. After reviewing the information and, if you agree to participate, you will be taken to the survey.

Thank you again for your participation!

[Note: The text below will appear on the second page of the web-based participant survey. For those who do not respond to the web survey, DSET staff will call to administer the survey and will read the text.]

American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI) Evaluation

Participant Survey Consent Text for Web-based Survey with Phone Follow-up

Below you will review information about the Apprenticeship Survey and how your responses to the survey will be used by the research team. After reviewing the information, you can decide if you want to answer the survey. This process is called informed consent and is a part of your rights as a study participant. If you have questions, you can contact us at: [insert].

• What is the purpose of the survey? The survey is a part of a study of apprentices’ outcomes funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. The survey will ask you about your background, apprenticeship experience, what skills and knowledge you gained, and what happened after the apprenticeship.

• How was I selected for the study? You are among a select group of apprentices chosen to respond to this survey because your apprenticeship was affiliated with an organization that received funding from DOL.

• Who is administering this survey? Abt Associates is administering the survey as part of an evaluation for DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA). Abt Associates is leading this evaluation and is partnered with, the Urban Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization. The data collected will be used by Abt Associates and the Urban Institute for research purposes.

• How long will it take to complete? This survey will take approximately 30 minutes.

• Is participation mandatory? Participation in the survey is voluntary. Once you begin the survey, you can refuse to answer any of the questions; though we hope you answer most of the questions so that your experiences as an apprentice can contribute to understanding and improving apprenticeship programs. If you complete the survey, you will receive a $25 gift card from the researchers in appreciation of your time. If you decide not to complete the survey, there is no penalty and your apprenticeship or services associated with it will not be affected as a result.

• Who will see my responses? The researchers treat the information you provide as private. All publications based on the survey will report findings at the aggregate level, not at the individual level, and the names of survey respondents will not be published in any form. Only the evaluation team will be able to identify your individual responses. The research team may create a public use file, but there will be no identifying information included in the file.

• What are the benefits and risks of participation? Your input is valuable and only you can tell us about your experiences in apprenticeship. Your participation will help DOL learn about apprenticeship programs and factors that may contribute to quality apprenticeships. The researchers conducting this survey are committed to keeping your personal information private.

There is a small risk of a loss of privacy, however, strong precautions will be taken to protect your information. The web survey is maintained on a secure server. Any computer files with your name will be password protected and stored on a secure network. A total of 2,000 individuals will participate in this survey. We will only report your information in statistics that include information from others in the study.

• Who can I contact with questions? If you have questions about this study, please contact [name of contact or liaison to be added] at [contact information to be added]. For questions or concerns about your rights as a study participant, please contact the Abt IRB Administrator at 1-877-520-6835 (toll free).

Agreement to Participate

By proceeding with the survey, you acknowledge that you read the information that is outlined above and allow our research team to use your survey responses as described.

[Note: The text below will appear on the third page of the web-based participant survey].

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is XXXX-XXXX and expires on XXXX XX, XXXX. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 30 minutes, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate or suggestions for improving this form, please write to Michelle R. Ennis, Workforce Analyst, Office of Policy Development and Research, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-5641, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210

Instructions:

Technical Instructions:

• This web-based survey can be saved and completed over several sessions by simply clicking the "Next" button at the bottom of the page to save your work. Upon reentering the survey, you will be routed to the last completed question.

You can now begin the survey by clicking “next.”

3. Email thank you note to respondents on participant survey

[Note: the following message will be sent by Abt to respondents of the participant survey.]

TO: ENROLLEE_FIRSTNAME ENROLLEE_LASTNAME

FROM: AAI Evaluation Email Account

SUBJECT: Thank you for taking the apprenticeship survey!

MESSAGE:

Dear [NAME],

Thank you for taking the time to complete the Apprenticeship Survey for the American Apprenticeship Initiative evaluation. This email confirms that your responses have been received. As a token of appreciation, we will be sending you a $25 gift card using the contact information you provided. Please allow [X WEEKS] for us to process and ship your gift card. If you need to contact us about the status of your gift card, please do so at [INSERT STUDY EMAIL ADDRESS/HOTLINE].

Sincerely,

Karen Gardiner

AAI Evaluation Project Director

Abt Associates