There are several roles that community colleges can play in a registered apprenticeship program. While the state in which the college resides may determine the extent of a college’s options, typically a college can choose between three options. The college can provide related technical instruction (RTI) only, serve as an intermediary for the registered apprenticeship program, or become a registered apprenticeship program sponsor. Depending on the role of the college and by partnering with industry on a registered apprenticeship program, educators create opportunities to:
- Apply learning through curriculum development, and classroom instruction.
- Build pathways to a career, college degree, and/or certification.
- Build relationships with employers and industry leaders to better prepare students for the workforce.
- Partner with local employers to manage a registered apprenticeship program.
As a related technical instruction (RTI) training provider, community colleges deliver academic instruction driven by industry standards. The primary responsibilities of an RTI training provider include creating registered apprenticeship curriculum in a collaborative effort with local businesses which meet the required workforce skills. AACC has found that colleges could also provide the ability to grant progressive credentials based on competency testing and facilitating access to financial aid and other support resources (e.g., academic, tutoring, counseling).
Being an RTI training provider gives your college:
- The ability to offer a current curriculum which meet industry standards and an academic pathway to those employer partners who already have existing registered apprenticeship programs.
- The ability to increase relationships with new and current industry partners through a collaborative effort to build new registered apprenticeship programs.
- The ability to create opportunities for students to earn and learn simultaneously while graduating with little to no debt and a job.
- The ability to build new programs that meet the high demand of industry and the economy including reskilling and upskilling.
- The ability to work with industry to create new pathways through stackable credentials.
- The ability to crosswalk competency-based curriculum with existing college programs to expand on the programs and build new pathways.
- A recruitment tool to increase the number of students served through new programs, and increase new student populations served (adult learners, diverse populations), which in turn will increase revenue.
Benefits to the employer when they partner with a college that provides the RTI:
- Current curriculum and training provide support to the employer’s RA program.
- Academic structured programs and pathways.
- Access to funding opportunities (WIOA, etc.).
- Academic credit, credentials, certificates, and/or degree attainment for the student.
As a registered apprenticeship intermediary, community colleges serve as connectors to their local business community while remaining committed to providing students with quality education, experiential learning, and skills that meet employer needs. In working with college intermediaries, AACC highlights that the primary responsibilities of an intermediary could include recruiting, screening, and testing potential apprentices to determine readiness and placement with a registered apprenticeship sponsor. The community college works with individual employers, large and small, to design and deliver a tailored curriculum that meets individual employers’ business goals.
Reasons your college should be an intermediary:
- The college is committed to serving employer partners beyond academic instruction and has the capability of facilitating parts of a registered apprenticeship program.
- Employer partners have existing registered apprenticeship programs and would like an outside organization to take a hands-on role in facilitating and administering the program.
- The college can serve many employer partners under one program, especially those with only a few apprentices—a benefit to small and medium-size employers.
- The college can build new programs to meet workforce demand.
Benefits to employer partners when colleges are the intermediary:
- Paperwork and administration can be handled by the college, taking some of the work off the employer (sponsor).
- Recruitment of apprentices is handled by the community college.
- Education and workforce system alignment and facilitation.
- College can assist with curriculum design.
- Academic support and resources.
- Access to funding opportunities (WIOA).
- Academic credit, credentials, certificates, and/or degree attainment for the student.
- Investment in incumbent workforce and an increase in retention.
As a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) Sponsor, community colleges assume full responsibility to design and operate a registered apprenticeship program. The primary responsibilities of a RAP sponsor include the administration and operation of a registered apprenticeship program and may include employing the registered apprentice.
Reasons your college should be a RAP Sponsor:
- The college is committed to serving employer partners beyond academic instruction and has the capability of facilitating the entirety of a registered apprenticeship program.
- Employer partners would like to build a registered apprenticeship program and would like an outside organization to take a hands-on role in facilitating and administering the program.
- The college has the ability to serve many employer partners under one program, especially small to medium-size employers who can only handle smaller numbers of registered apprentices.
- The college would have full administration decision-making over the program and access to data.
- Registered apprenticeship programs support the diversifying of college offerings.
- The potential to hire apprentices as employees as alumni of the apprenticeship program.
- The ability to offer additional services to employer partners beyond being a training provider
Benefits to employer partners when colleges are the RAP sponsor:
- Full management of the program rests with the college.
- All paperwork and administrative tasks can be handled by the college.
- Recruitment of apprentices is handled through the college.
- Education and workforce system alignment and facilitation.
- Curriculum development and design to meet industry needs.
- Academic and other support and resources, such as recruitment and retention.
- Access to funding opportunities (WIOA, etc.).
- Academic credit, credentials, certificates, and/or degree attainment for students.
The examples below are from successful AACC Expanding Community College Apprenticeship (ECCA) sites.
ECCA Success Stories and Promising Practices
Other Resources
- High-Quality Pre-Apprenticeship Programs: Community Collegesopens PDF file
- Registered Apprenticeship Sponsor Responsibilityopens PDF file
- opens in a new windowThe Role of Community Colleges in Registered
- opens in a new windowApprenticeship gov: Educators – Community Colleges in Registered Apprenticeship