Attachment 7 - Youth and Pre-apprenticeship Grantee Staff Interview Protocol_clean

Evaluating Registered Apprenticeship Initiative Study

Attachment 7 - Youth and Pre-apprenticeship Grantee Staff Interview Protocol_clean

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Apprenticeship Building America Portfolio

Implementation study of the ABA Category 2&3-Youth Registered Apprenticeship

and Pre-Apprenticeship grants

Grant Administrator and Staff Discussion Guide



INTRODUCTION 

 

I am/we are researchers with The Urban Institute/Mathematica/Social Policy Research, private research organizations based in Washington, DC/California which conduct policy-related research on a variety of social welfare and economic issues. 

 

This project is being conducted under contract to the U.S. Department of Labor. Our discussion here today is part of the Enhancing Registered Apprenticeship Initiatives project, a national study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. The study will learn how apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs can help improve the skills and employment outcomes of American workers. A major aim of the study is to learn more about the different models of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship being implemented. In each grantee we visit, we will be speaking with grant administrators and staff, program partners (including employers), and apprentices.


Privacy Statement:   I/we know that you are busy and we will be as focused as possible and will only ask questions that are relevant to your experience. We have many questions and will be talking to many different people, so please do not feel as though we expect you to be able to answer every question. Your participation in this interview is voluntary and you may choose not to answer some or any of our questions. We will do everything we can to secure the privacy of the information you provide, but ask that you consider using headphones or finding a private space to talk so that other people cannot hear or see this conversation.


We believe the risks of participating in this study are minimal.

We believe there are no direct benefits to you, but we hope that the findings from this study will benefit the Enhancing Registered Apprenticeship Initiatives project by providing research insights on how apprenticeship programs can benefit workers.

My colleague and I will be taking notes in order to document what we hear during our discussion, and we may record this discussion. We do not share these notes with anyone outside of our research team, including Department of Labor, and we will destroy these notes after the end of our project. When we compile our reports, the names of individual respondents will not be included. If we choose to quote you, you will only be identified by your title. You will not be quoted directly by name in any of our reports. While it is possible that you might be identified by your title, we will do our best to minimize the chance of that occurring. 


Finally, to help us accurately capture the information you share, we would like to record this interview. The recording is just a back-up for our notes and will be kept within our small research team. The interview recording will be deleted once we have developed a full set of notes from the interview.


OMB Burden Statement: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1290-0NEW. The time required to complete this collection of information is estimated to average 60 minutes, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed and complete and review the collection of information. 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 OMB Control Number 1290-0NEW

 

Do you have any questions for me?  

[If we decide to record the interview] Are you okay with us recording the interview to improve the accuracy of our notes?  


Do I have your permission to begin the interview? [BEGIN INTERVIEW IF CONSENT GRANTED]


Note: Document the following information for each respondent:

  • Name, title and organization/affiliation

  • Role in the grant program and other organization roles

  • Length of involvement with the organization and with the program



BASIC GRANT INFORMATION


  1. Verify with the respondent the following background information about the 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.]

  1. Original grant period: ___________ to ___________

  2. Modified grant period (if applicable): ___________ to ___________

  3. For registered apprenticeship programs, please identify the following:

    1. Industries targeted:

    2. Occupations targeted:

  1. For pre-apprenticeship program component, please identify the following:

    1. Industries targeted:

    2. Occupations targeted:


  1. What is your organization’s previous experience with apprenticeships (prior to receipt of the grant)?


  1. What is your organization’s previous experience with pre-apprenticeships (prior to receipt of the grant)?


  1. Have there been any modifications under your grant (e.g., scope of work, budget, performance period, etc.)? If yes, please briefly describe.



ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT


  1. What geographic area does your grant serve, including by your own organization and any sub-grantees or various partners (e.g., identify specific states, counties or regions served])?

[Note: Collect information prior to the visit and verify during interview.]


  1. What is the economic environment and context for the area served under the grant?

[Probe for: growth industries, extent to which industries rely on apprenticeship; industries that are most likely to feature apprenticeships/pre-apprenticeships; economic conditions such as job openings in sectors/occupations that are focus of grant]


Apprenticeship Context


  1. What was the apprenticeship “infrastructure” like in the geographic area served prior to grant and extent of linkages of grantee/partners to apprenticeships?

[Probe for: established relationships with apprenticeship programs, state apprenticeship agencies, apprenticeship intermediaries, industry associations, unions, schools, American Job Centers, and employers]


  1. What was the pre-apprenticeship “infrastructure” like in the geographic area served prior to grant?


  1. What was the extent to which registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship opportunities are available, and in which industry sectors/occupations in the area served, prior to the grant?


  1. To what extent is there overlap/linkage between this grant-funded project (e.g., the Apprenticeship Building America grants) and other federal or state initiatives?

[Probe for: other DOL apprenticeship grant initiatives; other DOL training initiatives (e.g., America’s Promise, Ready to Work, Strengthening Working Families Initiative, Tech Hire, TAACCCT grants); and any other apprenticeship initiatives besides DOL investments]



GRANT ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND KEY PARTNERS


  1. Please provide an overall description of the organizational structure of the grant. [Note: request organizational diagram if one is available.]


  1. For the grantee, who are the key staff and their roles under the grant?

  1. Number and position/title of staff funded under grant

  2. Staff role performed under the grant

  3. Whether staff worked on both pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship program development


Partner Information


  1. Are any grants funds supporting other partners other than employers (who are discussed in detail later in this interview)? For each organization, please discuss: name and type of the organization, amount of subgrant/funding, and the role and key services delivered under the grant.

[Probe for potential roles:

  • Outreach, recruiting, or referring individuals for placement in apprenticeships

  • Conducting employer outreach/engagement

  • Helping with apprenticeship program or curriculum design

  • Serving as an apprenticeship sponsor

  • Serving as a pre-apprenticeship sponsor

  • Serving as a related training instruction provider

  • Providing support services for apprentices]


  1. For partners not receiving any grant funds, who are the other key partnering organizations? For each key partner, please discuss: name and type of the organization, role and key services being provided under the grant. [See list of probes in C3]



  1. Did the grantee or partners experience start-up or early implementation issues (e.g., difficulties hiring staff, problems engaging partners, lack of employer interest/engagement, lack of potential participant interest, external (environmental) factors? Please discuss each challenge, including how it affected grant implementation, if and how the challenges were overcome.


  1. How did partnerships evolve or change over the course of the grant?



POLICY CHANGES, PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE AND DATA COLLECTION/USE


    1. Have you developed, recommended, or implemented any policy or procedural changes to support apprenticeship expansion as a part of or as a result the grant? What are they intended to do? Have they worked as intended? How so or not? [Probe for:

  • State or local legislation

  • State or local policy guidance

  • Increased state or local government funding

  • Enrollment policy changes at a community college

  • Credit or articulation policy changes at a community college (e.g., credit for prior learning)

  • Policies/procedures on apprentice safety

  • Policies/procedures on apprentice supervision

  • Policies/procedures on equal employment opportunity for apprentices

  • Policies on other aspects of apprenticeship (e.g., wage progression or employer incentives)]


    1. What systems and processes were implemented or enhanced to help simplify apprenticeship program development and reduce program start-up times and costs for registered apprenticeship programs? Have these systems or processes made it easier for employers to deploy the program(s) at scale?


    1. What systems and processes were implemented or enhanced to help simplify pre-apprenticeship program development?


New standards, credentials, curriculum


    1. Have you developed new or enhanced apprenticeship standards, curriculum, or credentials for the registered apprenticeship programs implemented under your grant? If yes, for which programs/industries? Please describe how they were developed and deployed.


    1. What about pre-apprenticeships? Have you developed new or enhanced pre-apprenticeship curriculum, or credentials implemented under your grant? If yes, for which programs/industries? Please describe how they were developed and deployed.


Promoting apprenticeships/TA and data help


    1. Have you implemented strategies to facilitate industry-wide acceptance of the apprenticeship model(s) being deployed? How has your organization and partners been promoting apprenticeship? If so, please describe these activities. What have the successes and challenges been?


    1. What quality assurance systems did you design and implement as a part of the grant? Did you build off of existing structures and systems? If yes, how so?


    1. Did you offer technical assistance to your partners and apprenticeship sponsors? What did this entail?


    1. What data management systems did you implement for the grant? What metrics and data did grantees, partners, and other stakeholders use to define and measure success of the apprenticeship program? [Probe if they used others than the required performance measures for the grant.] How did you and your partners use the metrics and data for continuous improvement?



TARGET POPULATIONS AND PARTICIPANT RECRUITMENT

  1. What populations and/or subpopulations have been targeted for recruitment (for apprenticeships) under the grant (i.e., by both the grantee and key partners)? Why have these populations/subpopulations been targeted? [Probe for:

  • In-school youth (16-18)

    • CTE students

    • Non-CTE students

    • Students at risk of dropping out

  • Out-of-school youth

  • Employed youth

  • Unemployed youth

  • Youth ex-offenders

  • Foster youth

  • Parenting youth

  • Homeless youth

  • College students

  • First generation

  • Youth populations that may traditionally be underrepresented in apprenticeship, including:

    • Women

    • People of color

    • Persons with disabilities


  1. Do you target the same populations for pre-apprenticeship programs as you do for apprenticeship programs? If not, what are the differences?


Recruiting


  1. How has your organization and its partners marketed pre-apprenticeships to prospective participants? I’ll ask about apprenticeships next. [Probe for:

  • Distribution of flyers, posters or other educational/informational

  • Program staff outreach presentations or orientations held in the area served

  • 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

  • Direct mail campaign

  • Word-of-mouth

  • Primary partners]


  1. Do you market apprenticeship outside of your pre-apprentice recruitment pool? If so, how has your organization and its partners marketed those apprenticeships to prospective participants who are not coming from the pre-apprenticeship program? [Probe for:

  • Distribution of flyers, posters or other educational/informational

  • Program staff outreach presentations or orientations held in the area served

  • 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

  • Direct mail campaign

  • Word-of-mouth

  • Primary partners]



  1. What organizations have provided referrals of prospective pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship participants? Which organizations have provided the most referrals? [Probe for:

  • Employers

  • Professional and industry organizations

  • Unions

  • Workforce system – American Job Centers, Employment Service, and WIOA

  • Local Education Agencies (LEAs), such as the local public school system

  • Re-engagement centers (i.e., to link youth that have dropped out of school back to school or other types of training)

  • Community colleges and other educational institutions including proprietary schools

  • Courts/correctional system/juvenile justice/probation officers

  • Faith-based and community-based organizations

  • Other public and non-profit human service agencies]


  1. What other programs or services do your referral sources offer? If there were no pre-apprenticeship or apprenticeship program, what else might these applicants have access to?


  1. Where can individuals apply for your pre-apprenticeship programs?


  1. Where can individuals apply for your apprenticeship programs? Are they able to apply directly through or during the pre-apprenticeship program? [Probe for:

    • Employers

    • Community college

    • Your organization

    • Union/labor organization

    • Another intermediary

    • American Job Center]


  1. How successful have you and your partners been in recruiting pre-apprenticeship participants? Have you been successful in reaching and recruiting your target populations? Have some been easier to reach and recruit than others?

  2. How successful have you and your partners been in recruiting apprenticeship participants? Have you been successful in reaching and recruiting your target populations? Have some been easier to reach and recruit than others?

  3. What strategies have you used to recruit individuals from groups who are underserved to your pre-apprenticeship program, such as women, Black/African American and Latinx/Hispanic youth, out-of-school youth, veterans, people with disabilities, etc.)? Which groups have you been successful with and with which groups have you been unsuccessful? Which strategies seem successful or not?


  1. Do you use different strategies to recruit individuals from groups who are underserved to your apprenticeship program? If so, how are they different from what you use in your pre-apprenticeship program?


  1. Would you say that it is easier or harder to recruit individuals from groups who are underserved to your pre-apprenticeship programs, compared to your apprenticeship programs? Why do you think there is a difference?


  1. Have there been recruitment challenges? If so, what challenges have been encountered and how have they been addressed? [Probe for:

  • 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

  • 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

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


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



PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY/INTAKE AND PARTICIPATION LEVELS UNDER THE GRANT


  1. What are the eligibility requirements for enrollment in your pre-apprenticeship program under the grant? [Note: Request copies of participant eligibility or intake form(s).] [Probe for:

  • 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

  • Meet an age requirement

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


  1. Describe the intake process for the pre-apprenticeship programs operating as a part of your grant? How do pre-apprentices apply to the program? Does this process vary across pre-apprenticeship programs or is it consistent?


  1. How does the intake process differ for the apprenticeship programs operating as a part of your grant? How do apprentices apply to the program and what steps do they take to advance to being an apprentice?

    1. At what point does a participant you are serving under the grant become an apprentice?

    2. Does this process vary across apprenticeship programs or is it consistent?


Employer and other partner role in intake


  1. What role, if any, do employers play in the screening and selection process for pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships under the grant, particularly in the case of incumbent workers served under the grant?


  1. What are the main reasons that applicants are screened out or fail to move through the intake process to be considered by employers?


  1. Beside employers, are there other organizations that assist in the intake, screening, and enrollment process for either pre-apprentices or apprentices? [Probe for:

  • Employers

  • Community or technical college

  • Labor organization (e.g. union, labor association/labor federation)

  • American Job Center

  • Nonprofit (e.g., community or faith-based) service/training provider

  • Industry association

  • Local government agency

  • State government agency]


  1. During the intake process, are any formal assessment tools/tests used by employers or the grantee/partners (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.]


  1. Does your organization, employers, or other stakeholders typically require potential pre-apprentices or apprentices to provide or undergo any of the following before enrolling in the program?

  1. Documentation of ability to legally work in the United States

  2. Background check for felonies

  3. Background check of misdemeanors

  4. Drug screening

  5. Physical or other medical exam


Pre-Apprenticeship Programs

[If the grantee has more than one pre-apprenticeship program, teams should focus on one program. Use your discretion as to which programs (e.g., largest, newest, non-traditional industry programs). Walk through the set of questions below for the program you are discussing in detail on the visit. It may be appropriate to skip some of these questions with the grant manager and cover them at the employer (and/or sponsor) or training site where the apprenticeship training is being provided. For the pre-apprenticeship programs identified, cover generally the features across the pre-apprenticeship programs; alternatively, if the programs vary, the interview can focus on one specific program.]


  1. What organization is operating the pre-apprenticeship program(s) (e.g., the grantee, a partner, an employer, etc.)? Does this vary by site?


  1. Are pre-apprentices enrolled in cohorts, and if yes, how large are the cohorts and how frequently are new cohorts of pre-apprentices enrolled (e.g., four times a year)?


  1. We already discussed how your grant as a whole targets particular populations. Does this pre-apprenticeship program have a special focus or target population different from other programs supported by your grant?


  1. Has the pre-apprenticeship program encountered challenges in recruiting participants and if so, what types of challenges? How have challenges been addressed/overcome?


  1. What is the usual duration of participation in the pre-apprenticeship program?

    1. How many hours of instruction (i.e., classroom/web-based) are provided during the pre-apprenticeship program? Over what period of time does instruction occur?

    2. What is the typical schedule for a pre-apprentice each week? Does this schedule change over the course of the pre-apprenticeship?

    3. Where is instruction provided (e.g., at a community college? How is instruction provided (e.g., classroom, web-based, hybrid, laboratory/shop)?

    4. Are there innovative methods being used as part of the pre-apprenticeship initiative? Please briefly discuss. [Probe for:

  • Accelerated learning modules

  • Contextualized learning

  • Self-paced learning

  • Competency-based learning

  • Prior learning assessments/credit for prior learning

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

  • Integrating basic skills instruction with technical instruction]


  1. Is there a work-based learning opportunity provided as part of the pre-apprenticeship program? If yes:

  1. How many hours of work-based learning do pre-apprentices complete?

  2. Where do pre-apprentices work and in what types of jobs?

  1. What credentials do pre-apprenticeship participants earn from this pre-apprenticeship program?


  1. Do pre-apprentices receive credit in their apprenticeship programs for time in the pre-apprenticeship program?


  1. What guidance do the pre-apprentices receive in applying to apprenticeship programs?


  1. To what extent are non-training supports provided during the pre-apprenticeship period (e.g., case management, career coaches/navigators counseling, and mentoring)?


  1. To what extent are supportive services provided during the pre-apprenticeship period, 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, if any, post-completion services are provided to participants of the pre-apprenticeship program(s)? [Probe for:

  • 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]


  1. To what extent are supportive services provided during the pre-apprenticeship period, 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?



KEY FEATURES OF AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM FORMED/EXPANDED UNDER THE GRANT

AN EXAMPLE OF A REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM FUNDED UNDER THE GRANT THAT IS TIED TO THE PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM JUST DISCUSSED


  1. What geographic area is the apprenticeship program serving?


  1. What industry sector is the focus of the apprenticeship program?


  1. Who is the sponsor of the apprenticeship program (e.g., a group sponsor, employer, union, etc.)?


  1. Is the recruitment and intake process for this program substantially different from what you described above for the grant as a whole? If so:


a. What is the typical recruitment source(s) for the apprenticeship program? What methods are used for recruitment? Are apprentices enrolled in cohorts, and if yes, how often are new cohorts enrolled (e.g., 4 times a year)?


b. Is your pre-apprenticeship program a major recruitment source for the apprenticeship program, or one of many recruitment sources?


c. Are there any other types of targeting of special populations? Please identify specific subgroup populations targeted. What strategies are used to recruit them?


d. What is the eligibility criteria used in selecting participants for the apprenticeship program? Please also briefly discuss the assessment and intake process.


  1. Is the apprenticeship program time-based (e.g., completion of specific numbers of hours of training), competency-based or a combination of the two?

    1. If time-based, what is the usual duration of participation in the apprenticeship?

    2. If competency-based, how is it determined that a participant has achieved the necessary level of competence to complete the apprenticeship? How long does it take an apprentice typically to reach the necessary level of competence and how much variation is there across apprentices?


  1. 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. Is RTI and OJT provided concurrently, is it front-loaded, or does RTI and OJT alternate during the apprenticeship?

  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. Are there innovative RTI methods being used as part of the apprenticeship program? Please briefly discuss. [Probe for:

  • 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. 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? How many total hours of OJT would an apprentice typically complete over the period of the apprenticeship?

    1. 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.

    2. How are mentors for OJT provided to apprentices?


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


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

    1. What is the starting wage?

    2. What is the ending wage?

    3. On average, how large is the hourly wage increase in dollars: $_____

    4. What milestones trigger increases in hourly wages? (e.g., annual increases, achievement of certain set of competencies, completion of RTI)


  1. Do apprentices receive any of the following benefits other than their wages during their apprenticeship program?

  1. Health benefits

  2. Paid sick leave

  3. Paid vacation time

  4. Retirement benefits

  5. Other (Please specify)


  1. To what extent are non-training supports provided during the apprenticeship period and what is the source of funding for these supports (e.g., case management, career coaches/navigators counseling, and mentoring)?


  1. Are there additional supports or other strategies used to help apprentices from underserved populations successfully complete the program? If so, please describe.


  1. To what extent are supportive services provided for apprentices, 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. Do apprentices pay any costs of the RTI (e.g., tuition, fees, equipment/books, etc.)?


  1. What is the goal (if any) for enrollment in the apprenticeship program under the grant? To date, how many apprentices have been enrolled? To date, how many apprentices have completed their apprenticeships? Has the program experienced attrition – and if yes, why? If available, about what percentage of those enrolled in the program terminate before completion of the apprenticeship?


EMPLOYER RECRUITMENT, ENGAGEMENT, AND ROLES

Note: Prior to the site visit, collect the following information from the grant application on the following to the extent it is available:

    1. Who are the collaborating employers listed on the grant application?

[Provide a full list of employers.]

    1. What methods did the proposal specify for reaching out to and involving the employers?

    2. What roles, if any, did the grantee propose to play in helping company to plan and/or implement apprenticeship programs?


  1. Are grant funds used to market to, recruit, and/or engage employers to consider establishing or expanding with apprenticeship program(s)?


  1. Does your grant fund staff at your organization to market to, recruit, and/or engage employers to consider establishing or expanding with apprenticeship program(s)?


  1. Does your grant fund other partners to market to, recruit, and/or engage employers to consider establishing or expanding with apprenticeship program(s)?


  1. At your organization and other partnering organization, about how many full-time staff equivalents (FTEs) for the past year of your grant were funded under the grant to conduct employer outreach, recruitment, and engagement effort under the grant? __________FTEs


  1. Under your grant, what number of employers have been engaged to date (i.e., those employers that have adopted apprenticeship programs as a result of your grant project)?

_____ employers engaged (as of ___/___/___)

    1. If known, about what percentage of those engaged have had fewer than 25 employees?

    2. If known, what is the largest and smallest number of apprentices enrolled in apprenticeships at the employers that have been engaged?


New employer recruiting


  1. If new employers have been recruited under the grant, what methods have been used to reach out to and recruit employers? Which methods have proved more and less successful? [Probe for:

  • Direct contact through telephone or emails

  • Distribution of flyers

  • Program staff outreach presentations or orientations with employers or business organizations

  • Referrals from other organizations and employers (e.g., the Chamber of Commerce, other businesses organizations, employers sponsoring apprenticeships, workforce development programs, etc.)

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

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

  • Word-of-mouth]


  1. Has any grant funding been used for financial supports to encourage employer engagement? Or funds from other sources? If so, how are the incentives structured and are they to defray costs for certain aspects of apprenticeship programs?


  1. What message(s) have been used to engage employers? Do messages vary by size or other characteristics of the employer? Which messages have been most/least effective?

  1. How have targeted employers responded to the outreach and recruitment effort?

    1. Has the grant-funded initiative been able to recruit the intended number of employers?

    2. Have there been more employers interested in engaging under the grant than can be included (e.g., is there a waiting list for employers to join)?

    3. If any of the following data are available, please provide (Note: Estimates are fine if actual numbers are not available):

      1. # employers outreached

      2. # or % interested

      3. # or % moving along pathway to establishing apprentice/pre-apprenticeships

      4. # or % of employers registering apprenticeships programs


Employer challenges and motivations


  1. What are the key barriers in persuading companies to start or expand apprenticeship programs?


  1. What are the key factors that motivate employers to start or expand apprenticeship programs?


  1. What are the key obstacles or reservations that employers cite to grantee staff when they are not interested in moving forward to establishing an apprenticeship program?


Assistance to Employers


  1. What types of assistance have been provided employers to help them in planning and initiating apprenticeship programs?


  1. If data are available, for how many employers has the grantee assisted in developing apprenticeship work processes (i.e., apprenticeship standards) and in applying for registration under the grant?



SUPPORTS FOR COMPLETION AND EMPLOYMENT SUCCESS


  1. How is the grant supporting persistence and completion of pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs? What features of the pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs make it easier for apprentices to complete the program? [Probe for:

  • Online related education and instruction (rather than going to campus or provider)

  • Self-paced instruction

  • Competency-based learning

  • Contextualized learning

  • Integrated instruction/team teaching

  • Prior learning assessments/credit for prior learning

  • Technology-enabled learning other than online learning (e.g., simulation labs)

  • Paid time for related instruction

  • Competency-based apprenticeship]


  1. Which personal supports are available to pre-apprentices and apprentices? Through the grant or partners? [Probe for:

    • Transportation

    • Childcare

    • Dependent care

    • Housing assistance

    • Needs-related payments that are necessary to enable an individual to participate in education and training activities funded through this grant]


  1. Which of the following academic supports are routinely offered for pre-apprentices and apprentices participating under the grant, either through your organization or your partners? [Probe for:

  • Academic advising and counseling

  • Tutoring

  • Tuition assistance

  • Basic skills training

  • Career counseling or coaching


  1. Have there been supportive services you have not been able to provide to or help pre-apprentices and apprentices access to support their success? If so, which ones and why?


  1. Have any limits been placed on a maximum amount of grant funding for supportive services to be available to apprentices? If yes, what is the maximum amount per apprentice: $__________


  1. Is there an individual, such as a case manager, who is assigned to work one-on-one with each pre-apprentice or apprentice throughout the program? If yes, what are the responsibilities of the individual assigned to work with each apprentice? [Probe for:

  • Apprentice monitoring and case management

  • Career counseling and coaching

  • Financial counseling

  • Monitoring satisfaction of apprentice with employer

  • Personal counseling

  • Referrals to services in the community]


  1. Are grant funds being used for the provision of gift cards or other payments to apprentices for providing information on their employment status after they leave the program? If yes, please describe.


Strategies (non-supports and supports) helping completion


  1. What strategies are being used to support completion and employment success for underserved populations that may differ from the generally available supports? How well do they appear to help these apprentices? Are there some services they need that you can’t offer or help them access?


  1. How well are supportive services helping apprentices persist in and complete their program? How well are supportive services helping apprentices improve their employment opportunities and circumstances (e.g., find and retain job, get promoted, wages)?



SUSTAINABILITY AND LESSONS LEARNED


  1. Have you developed sustainability plans for the apprenticeships implemented under the grant? If so, please describe these plans. What sources of funding will be used to sustain the apprenticeship activities implemented under the grant? Do you feel that your sustainability plan and leveraged resources are sufficient to sustain the activities of the grant after the completion of the grant?


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

  1. What partnerships have been most successful? To what extent will partnerships be sustained? With which partners and how?


  1. To date, what do you consider to be your most successful strategies implemented under the grant?


  1. Which apprenticeship programs or models have appeared most successful? Why so?


  1. To date, what do you believe to be the main lessons learned from your grant for apprenticeship/pre-apprenticeship program design and operations?


  1. What innovations and strategies under the grant can contribute to efforts to encourage more employers to adopt apprenticeships?



CHECKLIST OF ITEMS TO COLLECT FROM SITE (IF AVAILABLE)

    • Background information about the grantee organization

    • Additional documentation detailing key apprenticeship/pre-apprenticeship program components (e.g., RTI, on-the-job training or mentoring)

    • Evaluation reports that may have been prepared on the program

    • Blank set of intake forms

    • Diagram showing how participants flow through the program

    • Organizational chart for the program

    • Participant recruitment materials

    • Employer recruitment material

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