California’s Public Option for Registered Apprenticeships

Welcome to our first blog post where we will focus on one of our favorite things: apprenticeship. We (Orrian Willis and Krysti Specht) truly love this tried and true workforce solution that has empowered millions of humans across multiple countries, states, and levels of expertise. We have studied this workforce solution for years, starting off by building a US Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship program in San Francisco, “moving” (we wish) to Switzerland to study the youth to adult focused apprenticeship programming that approximately 70% of the country’s population enjoys, and now, we both focus heavily on California and the country’s momentum to build and expand new and emerging apprenticeship programs. Emerging and growing apprenticeships have come a LONG way over the years, and we’re thrilled at where it’s going.

But first, let’s start with a question we hear over and over from industry, California and beyond. Who can build us an apprenticeship program? We’re glad you asked.

The Apprenticeship Intermediary

An intermediary, in the context of Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPS), is an entity that can support an employer and/ or program sponsor with getting an apprenticeship program up and running. They build your program in collaboration with you, from the ground up.

Who can be an intermediary? There are several options and the option we are putting forth today, for companies engaging in California’s Registered Apprenticeship system, is “The Public Option for Registered Apprenticeships” (for companies engaging outside of California, we will come back to this in another post). Let’s dive in.

In California, partnering with a RAP intermediary that is primarily funded by tax dollars will be referred to as The Public Option. These public intermediaries are typically workforce development boards, community-based organizations, or Community Colleges. So, if your firm cannot afford a FTE to build and facilitate your RAP, or you cannot afford the placement fees associated with some private or fee-based intermediaries, then you should consider the Public Option.

Benefits of Using California’s Public Option Intermediaries

• Free Technical Assistance from Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to help design, implement and sustain your RAP
• Free access to qualified talent pipelines that have received training through publicly funded workforce development programs
• Free access to education for your apprentices and in California, in many instances, this education will be accredited (Community College in California is free for related technical instruction for California apprentices)
• Free access to intermediaries/ program sponsors
• Free access to resources, incentives and other RAP tools (RAP Equity Toolkit)
• Apprenticeship ROI Calculators (here is one example)
• Inclusive Apprenticeship Design partners (here is a leader)
• Online ROI reports, apprenticeship locators, apprenticeship builder tools, key stakeholder contact information and more at Apprenticeship.gov
• Your Public Option Intermediary will vet any and all available incentives for your company
• Your Public Option Intermediary will vet any and all available Tax Credits for your company
• Employer-Driven Apprenticeship Networks like the Northern California Apprentice Network
• Support with access to the Eligible Training Provider List as well as Employment Training Panel
• Access and guidance with California’s Apprenticeship Innovation Fund

These are all GREAT benefits for employers looking to establish or expand apprenticeships in the state of California. But beyond these freebies, let’s talk deeper about “why” we would use the public option to register an apprenticeship program.

• Affordability — Public intermediaries are free of charge. They are normally funded through government grants, tax dollars or contracts to design high-quality and equitable apprenticeship programs. We recommend that your intermediary helps you register your apprenticeship program with both California’s Division of Apprenticeship Standards, as well as the United States Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship.
• Equity -For SMEs, setting up a RAP can appear to be cost-prohibitive, not when partnering with a public intermediary, they manage all the set up costs. Public options are intended to build social and economic capital for people systematically barred from upward mobility. Public Option Intermediaries always put forth candidates from their local pool, which is an incredibly diverse and under-utilized pipeline (English Language Learners, Return-To-Workers, BIPOC Talents, Fair Chance Talents, People with Disabilities, Veterans and so much more). While your company will be presented with a pipeline of local talents, you always have the say in who you hire.
• Public Option Intermediaries adhere to the Standards of the Registered Apprenticeship system and through the EEO rules, wage scale guarantees, required mentorship, required education and credentialing opportunities, the apprenticeship programs developed with Public Option Intermediaries, provide social and economic mobility for participating apprentices. (For more, check out degree apprenticeships that are on the rise).
• Flexibility — Your company can design your RAP from the ground up. The RAP system is surprisingly agile and the programs are iterative by design.
• Optics — To touch on the matter of foreign countries doing apprenticeship right, the standout element (aside from apprenticeship being the cultural norm) is how robust and integrated the public-private partnerships are. This is a huge advantage that countries like Germany and Switzerland have. Additionally, apprentices at Swiss and German companies can rest assured that there are standardized procedures, policies, expectations, etc. for themselves and for their employer as they progress through an apprenticeship. This is about meeting industry needs and in an inclusive manner — setting up all people and all companies participating in apprenticeship to succeed. This inclusivity and transparency is desirable for workers and as more workers seek employment opportunities with companies that have social responsibility aims, companies with RAPs will appeal to those moral inclinations.

Interested in Exploring the Public Option?

Here is a guide to public intermediaries in the state of California, as well as their regional specificity. But before you reach out to an intermediary to support building your RAP, explore the following questions:

• What are your staffing goals and could apprenticeship help bridge your talent gaps? (the best apprenticeship occupations are high-growth, high-demand, and we recommend that no apprentice is a solo apprentice)
• What are your intentions with apprenticeship? (is this simply about skills gaps or do you need to enhance diversity and inclusion, or do you have a hard time reaching specific populations?)
• Do you have funds to invest in building the framework of an apprenticeship program? (if no, then the public option is the best option)

We believe competition in this market is very important. An increase in available intermediaries in both the private and public spheres, will provide more high quality options for our country’s firms. For firms that are interested in exploring or piloting a RAP, they should consider The Public Option as a cost-effective and inclusive partner.