Apprenticeship Building America (ABA) Grant Program

 
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    CFDA#

    17.285
     

    Funder Type

    Federal Government

    IT Classification

    B - Readily funds technology as part of an award

    Authority

    Employment and Training Administration (ETA)

    Summary

    **This Funding Opportunity Announcement solicits applications for Round 2 of the Apprenticeship Building America (ABA2) grant program. The Department will award grants to continue to expand, diversify, and strengthen the Registered Apprenticeship system through support for public and private partnerships designed to serve a range of industries and individuals and promote Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) as a workforce development solution that translates training into good jobs. ABA2 provides funding for three categories of grants: (1) Ensuring Equitable RAP Pathways and Partnerships Through Pre-apprenticeship Leading to RAP Enrollment, (2) Creation of Education System-aligned Pre apprenticeship and RAPs, and (3) Registered Apprenticeship Hubs.**


    The need for a coordinated national investment strategy for Registered Apprenticeship is critical to support the Administration's goals and priorities, particularly with the groundbreaking passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The ABA grant program builds on the Department's previous and ongoing efforts to expand and modernize Registered Apprenticeship through expanding the number of programs and apprentices, diversifying the industries that utilize Registered Apprenticeship, and increasing access to and completion of RAPs for underrepresented populations and underserved communities


    The Department has made significant strides in expanding Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAP) opportunities over the last 10 years by registering over 1.9 million apprentices and creating over 13,500 new RAPs. The Biden Administration supports the expansion of Registered Apprenticeship, including youth apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeships that lead to RAPs. The Administration is focused not only on expanding the number of programs and apprentices, but also diversifying the industries that utilize Registered Apprenticeship and increasing access to, and completion of, RAPs for underrepresented populations and underserved communities.


    Collectively, ABA grantees will work with a range of partners to support the development of the Registered Apprenticeship ecosystem and meet the following goals:

    1. build and modernize state apprenticeship systems;
    2. expand RAP opportunities for youth;
    3. ensure equitable RAP pathways through pre-apprenticeship leading to RAP enrollment and equity partnerships; and
    4. invest in apprenticeship hubs to facilitate the establishment, scaling, and expansion of RAPs in new and fast-growing industries and occupations.

    In addressing these goals, applicants must incorporate specified cross-cutting principles fundamental to the ABA grant program to ensure access to quality RAPs for all Americans. These include 1) equity, 2) job quality, 3) support for high quality, scalable, and sustainable programs, 4) evidence-based approaches, and 5) new opportunities for innovation, engagement, and ease of access


    This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits applications for the ABA grant program to support a coordinated, national investment strategy that aims to strengthen and modernize the RAP system centered on equity and promote Registered Apprenticeship as a workforce development solution. The ABA grant program will fund grants in four categories that advance the set of core principles noted above. Applicants have the opportunity to apply for funding across four grant categories:


    Category 1: State Apprenticeship System Building and Modernization:

    Grantees will coordinate RAP expansion and system building efforts at a state level across a wide array of industry sectors with employers, labor organizations, educational institutions, industry groups, joint labor-management partnerships, workforce and apprenticeship intermediaries, community based organizations, and other non-profit and public sector partners. Grantees will develop strategies to improve coordination efforts around system alignment, data quality and use, program expansion into target industries, and goals and strategies to ensure equity in RAPs, and also facilitate other data sharing, system change, and governance requirements to comply with the law and ensure a strong and modernized Registered Apprenticeship system.


    Category 2: Expansion of RAP Opportunities for Youth

    Grantees will establish and expand partnerships that commit to expanding RAPs and/or pre-apprenticeship programs that lead to RAP enrollment for youth through coordination with industry, workforce intermediaries, labor organizations, K-12 districts, community colleges, youth-serving and community-based organizations, and other stakeholders.


    Category 3: Ensuring Equitable RAP Pathways

    Through Pre-apprenticeship Leading to RAP Enrollment and Equity Partnerships: Grantees will establish and develop equity-centered public-private partnerships with pre-apprenticeships leading to RAP enrollment that aim to increase diversity and equity in apprenticeship for underrepresented populations and underserved communities.


    Category 4: Registered Apprenticeship Hubs:

    Grantees will establish a Registered Apprenticeship Hub by forming a multi-partner network capable of serving as a RAP sponsor or intermediary with the primary focus of supporting industry's needs for creating and expanding RAPs in new and emerging sectors and occupations. 


    Cross-Cutting Principles: Across all four grant categories, the ABA grants will incorporate the following cross-cutting principles into their projects to support the Administration's goal of ensuring quality jobs for all workers: 

    • Equity: Focus on expanding the diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) of RAPs into new and traditional industries to improve outcomes for workers from underrepresented populations and underserved communities.
    • Job Quality: Focus on promoting RAPs as a key strategy to move workers into good jobs across all industries – especially critical, in-demand industries and occupations defined by the Administration
    •  Support for high-quality, sustainable programs: Focus on ensuring that all RAPs have the features of high-quality apprenticeships, such as progressive wage increase and national industry-recognized credential, and that those efforts support a broader workforce development agenda to support a sustainable apprenticeship system on a national scale
    • Evidence-based approaches: Incorporate strategies to improve the efficient and effective use of evidence- and research-based approaches to support workforce development initiatives involving RAPs
    • New opportunities for innovation, engagement, and ease of access: Focus on innovative strategies that support the expansion and modernization of RAPs, which may include, but are not limited to: engaging with new and underrepresented organizations in the apprenticeship system
     

    History of Funding

    No history of funding is available.

    Additional Information

    ABA grantees are highly encouraged to collaborate with existing DOL-funded RAP investments to promote expansion of the program, as well as the Department's broader Registered Apprenticeship diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) efforts such as the Department's existing investments focusing on DEIA, including Industry Intermediary contracts and the Registered Apprenticeship Technical Assistance Center of Excellence. This collaboration will leverage and align efforts to maximize the use of resources and minimize the duplication of efforts, ultimately ensuring the core customers of the RAP system are served efficiently.


    RAPs and pre-apprenticeships leading to RAP enrollment that are funded and developed under this grant program must align with the requirements outlined below.


    Registered Apprenticeship Programs RAPs are a proven model of job preparation, approved and validated by DOL or a DOL recognized State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA), which combine paid on-the-job learning (OJL) with related instruction (RI) to progressively increase workers' skill levels and wages. RAPs are also a business-driven model that provide an effective way for industry to recruit, train, and etain highly skilled workers. RAPs allow workforce partners, educators, and employers to develop and apply industry standards to training programs, thereby increasing the quality of the workforce and workforce productivity. RAPs offer job seekers immediate employment opportunities that pay sustainable wages and offer advancement along a career path as they complete their training. Graduates of RAPs receive nationally recognized, portable credentials, and their training may be applied toward further post-secondary education.

    All RAPs contain the following five key elements: 

    1. Direct Industry Involvement
    2. Structured OJL
    3. Related Instruction
    4. Progressive Wage Increase
    5. National Industry-Recognized Credential

    A Pre-Apprenticeship Program is defined as a set of strategies designed to prepare individuals for entry into a RAP. Pre-apprenticeship programs differ from internships, job shadowing, externships, and co-ops, which may also offer individuals an opportunity to experience firsthand a profession or practice, but do not always engage in practical and applied experiential learning. For the purposes of this FOA, pre-apprenticeship programs must include the following five elements to be considered a quality pre-apprenticeship program

    1. Designed in Collaboration with RAP Sponsors
    2. Meaningful Hands-on Training that Does Not Displace Paid Employees
    3. Facilitated Entry and/or Articulation
    4. Sustainability Through Partnerships
    5.  Access to Appropriate Supportive Services

    Contacts

    Daniela Petchik

    Daniela Petchik

    ,

    Denise Roach

    Denise Roach
    200 Constitution Ave. NW
    Washington, DC 20210
    (202) 693-3820
     

  • Eligibility Details

    The following organizations are eligible to apply under each grant category: 

    Category 1 - State Apprenticeship System Building and Modernization:

    • States are eligible to apply for grants in Category 1.
      • The term state” means any of the 50 states of the United States, District of Columbia, or any Territory or possession of the United States. For the purposes of this FOA, territories or possessions of the United States are defined as: Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. Only state agencies may submit an application for this category, and only one application may be submitted by a state in response to this category.
      • States must identify the state agency that will be the grant recipient (e.g., state workforce agency eligible for funding under Title I of WIOA, state educational agency, or SAA). This entity must have the capacity to administer the grant, will have sole responsibility for administering the project, and will serve as the grant's fiscal agent.

    Category 2: Expansion of RAP Opportunities for Youth

    • Cities;
    • Municipalities; Tribal Nations;
    • Workforce Development System Entities, Agencies, and Associations - Organizations involved in administering the workforce development system established under WIOA (29 U.S.C. 3151), which are limited to State Workforce Development Boards, Local Workforce Development Boards, and Indian and Native American entities (as outlined in Section 166 of WIOA) (29 U.S.C. 3221);
    • Community-based Organizations - Organizations that are representative of a community or significant segments of a community and which provide education, career technical education or rehabilitation, job training, or internship services and programs and includes neighborhood groups and organizations, community action agencies, community development corporations, union related organizations, and employer-related organizations;
    • Industry groups and associations;
    • Labor and Joint labor-management partnerships;
    • Workforce and apprenticeship intermediaries; 
    • Educational institutions (e.g., alternative, private or traditional high schools; community colleges; CTE; HSIs; MSIs; HBCUs; school districts);
    • Consortia: A consortium of organizations that is led by an eligible entity whose principal function(s) is consistent with the capabilities associated with either one or more of the above-listed organizations. A consortium is a group made up of two or more organizations, companies, or governments that work together to achieve a common objective
      • Required Partners: Applicants are required to identify required partners in their abstract which shall include at a minimum, all of the following: • A minimum of two employer sponsors or two intermediary sponsors, or an industry/trade associations that represent at least two employers sponsors; • Education or Training Providers (e.g., K-12 school districts, CTE providers, community colleges, etc.); • For projects with a local or state-wide geographic scope, the State Apprenticeship Agency (for states with a federally recognized SAA); and • An entity carrying out activities under WIOA, such as a local workforce development board (as described above in Section III.A.2

    Category 3: Ensuring Equitable RAP Pathways Through Pre-apprenticeship Leading to RAP Enrollment and Equity Partnerships

    • Cities;
    • Municipalities;
    • Workforce Development System Entities - Organizations involved in administering the workforce development system established under WIOA (29 U.S.C. 3151), which are limited to State Workforce Development Boards, Local Workforce Development Boards, and Indian and Native American entities (as outlined in Section 166 of WIOA) (29 U.S.C. 3221
    • Educational institutions (e.g., community colleges, HBCUs, institutions of higher education, MSIs, school districts);
    • Industry groups and associations;
    • Labor and Joint labor-management partnerships;
    • Workforce and apprenticeship intermediaries;
    • Organizations functioning as business-related entities/workforce intermediaries for the expressed purpose of serving the needs of businesses, individual businesses, or consortia of businesses
    • Community-based organizations - Organizations that are representative of a community or significant segments of a community and which provides education, career technical education or rehabilitation, job training, or internship services and programs and includes neighborhood groups and organizations, community action agencies, community development corporations, union-related organizations, and employer-related organizations;
    • Consortia: A consortium of organizations that is led by an eligible entity whose principal function(s) is consistent with the capabilities associated with either one or more of the above-listed organizations. A consortium is a group made up of two or more organizations, companies, or governments that work together to achieve a common objective
      • Required Partners: Applicants are required to identify required partners in their abstract and shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:
        • Applicants are required to name a minimum of two employer or two intermediary sponsors, or an industry/trade associations that represents at least two employers in their abstract;
        • For programs with a local or state-wide geographic scope, the State Apprenticeship Agency (for states with a federally recognized SAA);
          • A minimum of one equity-focused CBO or Minority Serving Institution (MSI) or Minority Serving Institutions' Organization or Association: MSIs are defined as HBCUs, HSIs, Tribal Colleges, and institutions with a primary focus on serving persons with disabilities; and
          • An entity carrying out activities under WIOA, such as a local workforce development board (as described above in Section III.A.2). 

    Category 4: Registered Apprenticeship Hub

    • Cities;
    • Workforce Development System Entities - Organizations involved in administering the workforce development system established under WIOA (29 U.S.C. 3151), which are limited to State Workforce Development Boards, Local Workforce Development Boards, and Indian and Native American entities (as outlined in Section 166 of WIOA) (29 U.S.C. 3221);
    • Educational institutions (e.g., community colleges, institutions of higher education, HBCUs, HSIs, MSIs, school districts);
    • Industry groups and associations;
    • Labor and Joint labor-management partnerships;
    • Workforce and apprenticeship intermediaries: Organizations functioning as business-related entities/workforce intermediaries for the express purpose of serving the needs of businesses, individual businesses, or consortia of businesses;
    • Community-based organizations: Organizations that are representative of a community or significant segments of a community and which provides education, career technical education or rehabilitation, job training, or internship services and programs and includes neighborhood groups and organizations, community action agencies, community development corporations, union-related organizations, and employer-related organizations; and
    • Consortia: A consortium of organizations that is led by an eligible entity whose principal function(s) is consistent with the capabilities associated with either one or more of the above-listed organizations. A consortium is a group made up of two or more organizations, companies, or governments that work together to achieve a common objective. 
      • Required Partners: Applicants are required to identify required partners in their abstract and shall include at least the following:
        • Applicants are required to name a minimum of two employer or two intermediary sponsors, joint or non-joint employer groups, or industry/trade associations that represents at least two employers in their abstract; And at least one required partner from the list below
        • Post-Secondary Education Institutions: Institutions accredited in accordance with the guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Education;
        • Workforce Associations: Organizations that connect workforce development professionals and advocates for state and local workforce programs, including the support of state and local workforce development and/or apprenticeship agencies and boards.

    Deadline Details

    Applications for Round 2 (ABA2) are to be submitted by April 15. 2024. A similar deadline is anticipated annually.

    Award Details

    Forecasted, Estimated total funding for FY24 $95,000,000, approximately 18 grants are expected to be funded.


    Approximately $113,000,000 of total funding will be available to fund approximately 20-30 grants. Of the $113,000,000 in grants funds available for the ABA grant program, ETA intends to commit up to $50 million in funding awards (of the total $113 million available) to projects primarily focused on equity partnerships and/or pre-apprenticeship activities that result in enrollment in RAPs. The following are the ceiling amounts for each catagory:

    • Category 1: State Apprenticeship System Building and Modernization: up to $4 million;
    • Category 2: Expansion of RAP Opportunities for Youth: up to $5 million;
    • Category 3: Ensuring Equitable RAP Pathways Through Pre-apprenticeship Leading to RAP Enrollment and Equity Partnerships: up to $3 million;
    • Category 4: Registered Apprenticeship Hubs: up to $6 million for projects with a local/regional or statewide geographic scope; and up to $8 million for projects with a national geographic scope.

    The period of performance is 48 months with an anticipated start date of 07/01/2022. This performance period includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities. This program does not require cost sharing or matching funds.

    Related Webcasts Use the links below to view the recorded playback of these webcasts


    • Funding Classroom Technology to Empower Students and Teachers - Sponsored by Panasonic - Playback Available
    • Maximizing Technology-friendly Workforce Development Grants - Sponsored by Panasonic - Playback Available
    • Funding Data-driven Workforce Development Projects - Sponsored by NetApp - Playback Available

 

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