When building and implementing a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) at your college, it is important to know which type of administrative structure and regulatory body your state has. AACC would like to highlight the two types of structures responsible for registering and evaluating RAPs and ensuring programs comply. Office of Apprenticeship (OA) States are states in which all registered apprenticeship program registration and oversight is done by federal U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) staff through state field offices. DOL Recognized State Apprenticeship Agencies (SAA) States are states in which all RAP activity is handled directly by state administrators and staff, acting on behalf of DOL.
The map below, from Apprenticeship.gov, shows OA States in dark blue and SAA States in teal:
An interactive version of the map, as well as state contact information, can be found here.
While both types of administrative structures function similarly, there are some key differences that may apply:
Office of Apprenticeship (OA) States all function similarly as they all follow direct U.S. DOL regulation and policy. All OA states:
- Utilize the Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Data System (RAPIDS) system for registration, oversight, and tracking of apprentice progress and apprenticeship compliance.
- Register all programs through standard documentation, including a ‘671 Form’ for all Registered Apprentices.
- OA staff members are federal employees.
To register your Registered Apprenticeship Program in an OA state, contact your Office of Apprenticeship representative.
State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) States have varying processes and policies, depending on each state’s laws and regulations, but all must go through an approval process with the U.S. Department of Labor to be recognized as meeting federal standards. SAA states:
- May utilize the same RAPIDS system as OA states, or may use a separate system unique to that state.
- May utilize the standard federal paperwork and documentation noted above, or may use documentation specific to that state.
- SAA staff members are state employees.
To register your Registered Apprenticeship Program in an SAA state, contact your State Apprenticeship Agency representative.
Other Resources
- DOL Apprenticeship State Agency Contacts (Apprenticeship.gov)
- Federal regional offices contact information (Apprenticeship.gov)
- Registered Apprenticeship 101 Bootcamp: Registering Apprenticeship Programs in OA States (Workforce GPS)