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Florida Construction Workforce Taskforce:

The Apprenticeship Overview

Victoria Zoloedova, Andriel E. Fenner, James Sullivan, Charles J. Kibert

FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT 2

Table of Contents

The M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management ....................................................3

Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................4

TOPIC 1: Apprenticeship overview .........................................................................................6

The apprenticeship system framework: US vs. Florida ................................................................6

How DOE became responsible for apprenticeships programs in Florida? ....................................9

Overlook of the number of apprenticeships over the past ten years ............................................ 10

The demographics of apprentices over the past 6 years .............................................................. 11

The graduation rates annually over the past years ...................................................................... 13

TOPIC 2: The Florida Model ................................................................................................ 13

The Florida apprenticeship system ............................................................................................ 13

The organizational chart of DOE’s apprenticeship department .................................................. 15

The State apprenticeship funding............................................................................................... 17

The scope of work of the apprenticeship department ................................................................. 17

The Department’s greatest needs and assets............................................................................... 19

TOPIC 3: The Business model ................................................................................................ 20

The formal plan for apprenticeships in Florida: goals, objectives, strategies, and metrics .......... 20

The money flow for apprenticeship programs ............................................................................ 21

The expenditures by program across the state ............................................................................ 23

Tracking individual trainees ...................................................................................................... 23

TOPIC 4: Future Plans ........................................................................................................... 25

Outreach and marketing plan for the apprenticeship programs: relations with local workforce

boards and companies ............................................................................................................... 25

Who works with businesses to get workers hired and into apprenticeships? ............................... 29

References: .............................................................................................................................. 30


Sponsored by a grant from the

“Department of Business and Professional

Regulation” and “Building a Safer Florida, Inc.” to the

M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction

Management at the University of Florida

The M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management

The M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management at the University of Florida

combines the skills, diverse experiences, and talents of its faculty with an innovative educational

curriculum to educate future construction professionals. Housed in the College of Design,

Construction and Planning, the Rinker School is dedicated to construction science and

management and is committed to excellence in education and research. Established in 1935, it is

the oldest school of construction in the U.S. and the first program to receive accreditation from

the American Council for Construction Education (1975). Twenty faculty members teach and

guide the School’s 500 undergraduate and 120 graduate students. The School’s new building,

Rinker Hall, is the 26th building to have been awarded LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green

Building Council. The Rinker School has substantial experience with crafts training and has had

extensive collaboration with the National Center for Construction Education and Research

(NCCER), the premier crafts training education organization, for the past 18 years. Most recently

the Rinker School developed a crafts training program, Training for Manufactured Construction

(TRAMCON), that provides students with hybrid manufacturing/construction credentials. These

credentials also provide training across multiple crafts including carpentry, plumbing, electrical,

and HVAC using NCCER training modules.

Mission Statement

The mission of the M. E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management is to be the center

of excellence for construction. The Rinker School will pursue this by:

✓ Promoting professional and ethical behavior in education and practice.

✓ Advancing the industry by creating new knowledge through research and scholarly

activities.

✓ Educating individuals in principles, knowledge and skills required to be successful in

their professional careers.

✓ Providing service and transferring knowledge to the citizens of Florida, the

construction industry, professional societies, the nation, and the world.

The Rinker School will achieve this mission by fostering a core culture of value and quality.


Executive Summary

The Rinker School of Construction

Management at the University of Florida has

been tasked with evaluating workforce

training availability in Florida. This study

will support the evaluation of workforce

development programs in the state and allow

for better understanding of the types and

training offered as well as where they are

offered and how they are sponsored.

Workforce shortages in the state are

historically cyclical and follow significant

lulls in construction volume over time. Most

recently, there was a significant downfall in

construction volume in Florida starting in

2007 (see Figure 1 below), with the recovery

beginning in 2012. The significance of this

most recent economic cycle to the state is that

the downturn started earlier in Florida and

lasted longer than the national average.

Construction employment follows

general housing and building trends as well.

The difficulty for the recovering market is

replacing the trained workforce that left the

state or the industry during the economic

downturn. High demand for trained workers

increases pressure on construction firms to

employ unqualified workers who are trained

through an informal on-the-job training

(OJT) process, resulting in initial quality,

productivity, and safety issues compared to a

trained worker. National construction

employment demands are reflected in Figure

2 below.

Figure 1 - Housing starts from 2005 through 2014


Figure 2 - Department of Labor Statistics (Job openings in 1000’s)

Construction workforce training

appears in various formats, including high

school magnet programs, vocational schools,

and apprenticeships. The purpose of this

report is to provide a snapshot of the

availability of training relative to the

increased demand and the lack of interested

applicants. Training programs themselves

are not adequate for filling the workforce

void. Current studies indicate that 50% of

the construction workforce is 45 years or

older. An aging workforce, increasing in

construction volume and decreasing interest

in construction employment is creating the

perfect storm for severe labor shortages.

These labor shortages have the potential to

limit the growth of the construction industry,

increase construction costs, and limit the

types of construction trades available to

service market needs. These factors are the

reasons that a Workforce Task Force and

research are required.

FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT

6

TOPIC 1:

Apprenticeship overview

The apprenticeship system

framework: US vs. Florida

The Department of Labor Office of

Apprenticeship oversees the national

apprenticeship system. Registered

Apprenticeship programs should comply

with the federal rules and legislations that

govern content, quality, length of training,

safety, minimum wage and equal

employment protection. Some states have

assumed the authority to control and monitor

apprenticeship programs through a specific

department. Those states, for federal

purposes, are identified as “State

Apprenticeship Agency” or SAA (Figure 1).

The field staff or state personnel control

employer outreach, program registration, and

the enforcement of activities. All states are

encouraged to develop and increase

participation in apprenticeship programs,

even if the program is controlled by the

federal department. The only difference is

that the SAA has more flexibility to set and

enforce their own standards for

apprenticeship programs and even to create

occupational fields that are not yet vetted by

the federal government.

Figure 1 - U.S. apprenticeship programs carried out by Federal and State Agencies.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor Office Employment and Training Administration

Figure 2 and

Table 1 show that most of registered

apprenticeship programs in the SAA are

associated with the State Department of

Workforce and Economic Opportunity. The

State of Florida is the only state where RA

programs are controlled by the Department of

Education. The Florida Department of

Education, Division of Career and Adult

Education is authorized to implement and

oversee apprenticeship programs for state

and local purposes. The Division is

responsible for administering both Career

Technical Education (CTE) and Registered

Apprenticeship (RA) programs, which are

operated separately. Florida legislative

statute calls for local district school boards,

community college district boards of trustees,

and RA sponsors to work together to develop

youth pre-apprenticeship programs that

include related career instruction and general

education courses (U.S. Department of

Education).

Figure 2 - State Departments controlling Registered Apprenticeships in U.S.

Florida's State Apprenticeship

Advisory Council represents the

apprenticeship community, advising the

Department on matters relating to registered

apprenticeship programs. The Office of

Apprenticeships works closely with other

organizations, such as the CareerSource.

CareerSource Florida is collaborating with

the Florida Apprenticeship Advisory

Council, convened through the Florida

Department of Education to identify

opportunities to promote registered

Department of Labor,

23

Department of Economic

Opportunity , 4

Department of Education, 1


8

apprenticeship and to explore educational

opportunities for local boards to engage the

state apprenticeship office and their local

representatives. Guidance is provided

to Local Workforce Development Boards

(LWDBs) on Apprenticeship resources and

effective integration with Adult and

Dislocated Worker Programs (CareerSource

Florida).

Table 1 - Table showing the State department responsible for controlling Registered

Apprenticeship.

State Department

Arizona Arizona Department of Economic Security

Connecticut Connecticut Labor Department

Delaware Division of Professional Regulation

District of Columbia Department of Employment Services

Florida Florida Department of Education

Guam Department of Labor

Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations

Kansas Kansas Department of Commerce

Kentucky Kentucky Department of Labor

Louisiana Louisiana Workforce Commission

Maine Maine Department of Labor

Maryland Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation

Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development

Minnesota Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry

Montana Montana Department of Labor & Industries

Nevada State of Nevada Department of Business and Industry

New Mexico New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions

New York New York State Department of Labor

North Carolina Department of Commerce

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services

Oregon Oregon State Bureau of Labor and Industries

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry

Puerto Rico Department of Labor & Human Resources

Rhode Island RI Department of Labor and Training

Virginia Virginia Department of Labor and Industry

U.S. Virgin Islands U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Labor

Washington Department of Labor & Industries

Wisconsin State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

https://careersourceflorida.com/docking/WIOAUnifiedPlan.pdf


How DOE became responsible for

apprenticeships programs in

Florida?

Before 2002, apprenticeship programs

were controlled by the Florida Department of

Labor and Employment Security. This

department was eliminated on June 30th,

2002 and its responsibilities and functions

were transferred to other agencies. The

redistribution of functions are as follows:

Table 2 - Redistribution of functions associated with the Florida Department of Labor.

Source: Florida Administrative Code and Florida Administrative Register

Previous

Division

code

Divisions Chapters Transferred to

38 Departmental Terminated

38A Office of the Secretary Terminated

38B Division of

Unemployment

Compensation

Terminated

38C Division of Labor Terminated

38D Public Employees

Relations Commission

60CC – Department of Management

Services – Public Employees

Relations Commission

38E Unemployment Appeals

Commission

Terminated

38F Division of Workers'

Compensation

69L – Department of Financial

Services – Division of Worker’s

Compensation

38G Division of Employment

and Training

Terminated

38H Division of Jobs and

Benefits

38H-16:

Apprenticeship

Programs

38H-20: State

Apprenticeship

Council

6A – Department of Education –

State Board of Education

Other responsibilities transferred to

the 61 - Department of Business and

Professional Regulation

38I Division of Safety Repealed

38J Division of Vocational

Rehabilitation

Repealed

38K Division of Blind

Services

38K-1: Blind

Services

6A – Department of Education –

State Board of Education

https://www.flrules.org/gateway/Department.asp?toType=&DeptID=38&Sort=ID

https://www.flrules.org/gateway/Division.asp?DivID=103





Overlook of the number of

apprenticeships over the past ten

years

According to the U.S. Department of

Labor, the number of apprentices nationwide

is exponentially increasing after 2010. In

only 5 years, the number of new entrants

almost doubled, pushed mainly by

construction-related occupations. Non-union

employers represent half of the

apprenticeship sponsors, while union-based

employers represent the other half.

Conversely, construction-related

apprenticeship programs sponsored jointly

by unions and companies have shown higher

graduation rates than programs sponsored

solely by private employers. The major

reason for this fact is that the most employer-

sponsored apprenticeships have been

providing less generous wages and benefits

than union apprenticeships, making those

students sponsored by private sponsors drop

out of the program.

Figure 3 - Apprenticeship programs in the State of Florida.

Source: US Department of Labor – Employment and training administration

In the State of Florida, most apprentices

are being trained in traditional construction

programs such as electricity, plumbing,

pipefitting, and heating and air conditioning

installation and repair (Sullivan et al. 2017).

Figure 3 illustrates the performance of

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Registered Apprentices in Florida

Active Apprentices New apprentices Completers Active Programs

https://www.doleta.gov/oa/data_statistics2011.cfm


11

apprenticeship programs in the State of

Florida from 2009 to 2016. Overall, there has

been an increase in active apprentices even

with a reduction of active apprenticeship

programs, showing an increase in popularity

in some programs. Overall, there was an

increase in the number of new apprentices.

The demographics of apprentices

over the past 6 years

The construction industry is one of the

least diverse industries. The 2015

demographic data from the construction

industry shows that male workers represent

around 89% of the total workforce. On

average, male workers in the construction

sector earn 1.13 times more than female

workers. The wage difference is also

significant among different races and

ethnicities. These differences in the

construction sector are also replicated in the

registered apprenticeship programs. Figure 5

shows the gender distribution of

apprenticeship programs in the State of

Florida. As most of the programs in the state

are construction related, the figures represent

the gender distribution in construction

programs with certain degrees of confidence.

Figure 6 also shows the race/ethnicity

distribution of registered apprenticeships in

Florida. White-Americans represent over

than 50% of the total students, while the share

of African-Americans and Hispanics is

among 20-25% each. Other races rarely

achieve 1% share.

Figure 4 - Wage by gender in the most common construction jobs.

Source: Data USA


12

Figure 5 - Gender distribution in Apprenticeship programs in Florida.

Source: Florida Department of Education

Figure 6- Race/Ethnicity distribution of Apprenticeship programs in Florida.


14.10%17.50% 17.80% 15.80%

13.30% 11%

85.90%82.50% 82.20% 84.20%

86.70% 89%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%

2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016

Female Male

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016

African-American American Indian Asian Hispanic

Multi-racial Pacific- Islander White

http://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/research-evaluation/data-reports-adult-edu.stml


The graduation rates annually over

the past years

Data from retention rates and job

placements are not often publicized. Data

from those sources would be extremely

important to understand the system’s

problems and to help develop

recommendations. According to The Aspen

Institute, most apprentices in the

construction-related programs dropped their

studies within one year. Undoubtedly, those

high numbers are also a reflection of the

economic downturn, but there are also other

factors to consider. One-third of apprentices

identified personal issues and performance

problems as the major reasons for

cancellation. In this aspect, academic

readiness is more likely to be the major

barrier for apprentices who did not complete

high school.

TOPIC 2:

The Florida Model

The Florida apprenticeship system

The apprenticeship system in the United

States is a method for training the labor

workforce. This system is governed by the

U.S. Department of Labor. Companies

register their programs through the Office of

Apprenticeship. Employers are responsible

for the major share of student’s costs and

participate in developing training courses.

The state and federal authorities play

advising role and they develop necessary

policies while enforcing the compliance of

standards.

Registered apprenticeship programs

provide the employers with an opportunity to

develop the industry standards needed to

increase the quality and productivity of the

workforce. Apprenticeship students who

successfully completed courses are accepted

by the industry as journey workers. For

employers who are interested in developing

and enhance the quality of their workforce,

apprenticeship programs are the best option.

Such programs assist in presenting on-the-job

training, provide related instructions, and

structure wages. The apprentice wage rate

cannot be less than the minimum wage

determined by the Fair Labor Standards Act,

collective bargaining agreements or by

Florida Statutes, whichever has a higher

power.

The Department of Labor specifies three

major types of apprenticeship programs:

1) The time-based program, which requires

minimum 2,000 hours of training and

includes an outline of the specific work


14

processes and the approximate time

requirement for each trade work process.

2) Competency or performance-based

program, which refers to “an observable,

measurable pattern of skills, knowledge,

abilities, behaviors and other characteristics

that an individual need to perform work roles

or occupational functions successfully”. In

this program, students can accelerate the rate

of competency achievement, take additional

time beyond the approximate time of

completion, or conform to the time-based

design.

3) Hybrid program, that unites the two

above-mentioned programs. In the hybrid

type, a work process is designed with a

minimum and maximum time/hour for each

task or job requirement.

Apprenticeship in Florida is a training

system where the apprentices work full-time

(40 hours per week) during the day for a

sponsoring employer while learning the skills

of the trade as a part of the On-the-Job

Training program and while being supervised

by a mentor. Apprenticeship allows workers

to increase their wage while achieving

necessary skills. Usually, the process of

increasing the wage repeats every 6 months.

The wage rate starts at minimum 35% of the

journeyperson’s hourly rate, and after the

training is completed it goes up to no less

than 75% of the journey worker’s hourly

wage rate. Apprenticeship program requires

at least 144 training hours. The program

duration varies from 1 to 5 years, depending

on the trade. Any of the registered

apprenticeship programs works

independently and has its own application

process and requirements. However, the

program is eligible only for individuals no

less than 16 years old. Approximately 80%

of all apprenticeship programs in Florida

receive their related instruction from Local

Education Agencies (LEA) (state colleges or

state technical colleges).

Registered apprentices for related

instruction provided through LEA are free of

charge as stipulated in Florida Statute

1009.25. Only tools, books, and materials

needed for the trade should be purchased.

After the apprenticeship program is

completed, an individual receives a

Completion of Apprenticeship certificate

issued by the State of Florida. Certifications

earned through registered apprenticeship

programs are recognized nationwide.

According to the Department of Labor,

eighty-five percent of the apprenticeship

programs are related to the construction

industry in Florida.


15

The organizational chart of DOE’s

apprenticeship department

Department of Apprenticeship in the state

of Florida exists as a part of Career and Adult

Education Department of the Department of

Education. Career and Adult Education

Department was created to fulfill the needs of

students, business and industry, school

districts, Florida colleges, community-based

organizations, and correctional institutions.

The Department’s goal is to improve

Florida’s workforce by promoting the

collaboration of both private and public

sectors throughout the state. Career and Adult

Education is delivered through a network of

service providers, which include District

Technical Centers, Adult Education

Providers, and Florida colleges.

Apprenticeship department consists of

Chancellor, Bureau chief, Director of the

apprenticeship and regional program

specialists (Figure 7).

Figure 7- The structure of the Department of Apprenticeship, State of Florida


The state of Florida is divided into seven

regions to efficiently regulate apprenticeship

programs (Figure 8). Each of the regional

representatives has its office and contact

information that is stated in Table 1.

The purposes of the regional representatives

Chancellor

Bureau Chief

Director of Apprenticeship

Program Specialist

IV,

Region 1A

Government Operations Consultant I

Program Specialist

IV,

Region 2

Program Specialist

IV,

Region 1B

Program Specialist

IV,

Region 4

Program Specialist

IV,

Region 3

Program Specialis IV,

Region 5


16

are:

• To align workforce development

activities and resources;

• To provide coordinated and efficient

services to businesses and job

seekers;

• To lower costs and to increase the

effectiveness of service delivery.

Figure 8 - The regions of the State of Florida


Table 3 - Regional Representatives and Contact information


Region Representative Contact information

1A William Lauver Apprenticeship Office

215 N. Market Street, Suite 300, Jacksonville, Florida 32202-

2851

Telephone: (904) 798-0060; Fax: (904) 359-2602

Email: [email protected]

1B Patrick Wright 325 W. Gaines Street, Room 754, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-

0400

Telephone: (850) 245-9006; Fax: (850) 245-9010


2 Steven Lindas Apprenticeship Office - c/o Mid Florida Tech

2900 W. Oak Ridge Road, Orlando, Florida 32809

Telephone: (407) 251-2417; Fax: (407) 251-2418


mailto:[email protected]




17

3 Steven Seville Apprenticeship Office/Suncoast Technical College - c/o Venice

High School, 1 Indian Avenue, Venice, Florida 34285

Telephone: (941) 924-1365


4 Randy Holmes 2550 W. Oakland Park Boulevard, Suite 136

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33311

Telephone: (954) 497-3384; Fax: (954) 497-3385


5 Valvery Hillsman

Apprenticeship Office, c/o Dave Thomas Education Center

180 S.W. 2nd Street, Pompano Beach, Florida 33060

Telephone: (754) 321-6780; Fax: (754) 321-6781


The State apprenticeship funding

The apprenticeship program is funded

through General Appropriations. The budget

fluctuates based on legislative actions. There

are no other sources of funding for the office.

For the fiscal year 2017, the apprenticeship

section was funded at approximately

$530,000.00.

The scope of work of the apprenticeship

department

The following bullet points summarize

the scope of work done by the apprenticeship

department:

• Registering Apprenticeship & Pre-

apprenticeship Programs and

participants.

• Legislative work: Since 2015, the

Department has been trying to add the

federal language into Florida’s statutes

for apprenticeship programs.

• Attracting additional funding: Bonus

Performance Funding, Federal Grants,

American Apprenticeship Initiative

Grant, Apprenticeship USA Initiative,

The Omnibus Bill, etc.

• Conducting quality assessments and

EEO program compliance reviews.

• Handling one of the largest federal

apprenticeship programs, UPS.

• Cooperating with State

apprenticeship advisory council (SAAC),

which was created to assist the

governmental authorities to cooperate

with private industry apprenticeship, pre-

apprenticeship, and on-the-job training

programs. The Council provides input to

the Florida Department of Education

(FDOE) on matters regarding





18

apprenticeship. Meetings twice per year

board members aim to discuss strategic

goals, needs, funding and plan of action

to promote the apprenticeship programs

in Florida.

• Creating policy and standards for

apprenticeship programs: Program

standards specify the syllabus and length

of the program, the type of training, the

wage schedule, the admission

requirements and the application process,

etc. Among the requirements for

participating in the apprenticeship

program is an entity’s agreement to

accept all applicable laws, rules,

regulations, standards and other

requirements managing the program and

its participants. Among these laws are

Chapter 446, Florida Statutes, the rules of

the Florida Department of Education,

Division of Career and Adult Education,

applicable program standards, and any

pertinent information/instructions

received from the Department or other

source, including relevant federal law,

code, regulation and policies.

• Cooperating in The Workforce

Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA): It

was created to provide job seekers and

employers an easy access to the

workforce development system. WIOA

became law on July 22, 2014. WIOA

allows promoting the transparency of

apprenticeship programs. Additionally it

fosters regional collaboration; streamline

and strengthen the role of workforce

development boards.

• Expanding veteran participation in

Apprenticeship programs.

• Promoting distance learning to retain

apprentices and expedite training.

• Cooperating with local

apprenticeship sponsors to develop the

apprenticeship standards and training

requirements.

• Creating Skills Gap Analysis survey

in order to understand the trend of how

employers are responding to the skills

gap between workers. In 2016, the

Florida Department of Economic

Opportunity together with the Bureau of

Labor Market Statistics (LMS),

CareerSource Florida and CareerSource

Broward, conducted a pilot survey to

collect data regarding employer-

identified skills gaps, hiring practices,

and job vacancies. The pilot study had a

success with providing the viability of

collecting skills gaps by occupation and

industry for several types of soft and hard

skills in a Local Workforce Development

Area (LWDA). The main goal of the


19

survey was to understand the skills

needed for industries in the state of

Florida and to provide the results to

workforce, education, economic

development, and labor market research

partners. For the workforce system, that

the outcome of data collection can

connect employer-based skills needs to

the capabilities of job seekers, students,

and the unemployed people. It was

decided to conduct the full survey over

Florida in 2017.

• Managing the New Apprenticeship

Management Program, RAPIDS 2.0 .

The Department’s greatest needs and

assets.

Figure 9 - The Needs and Assets of the Department of Apprenticeship, DOE

TOPIC 3:

The Business model

The formal plan for apprenticeships in

Florida: goals, objectives, strategies, and

metrics

The State Apprenticeship Advisory

Council was founded with the purpose of

providing input to the Florida Department of

Education (FDOE) on matters relating to

apprenticeship programs. The Council holds

a meeting twice per year to discuss the scope

of work by questioning what is done and what

should be done to make the apprenticeship

programs work more effectively. It is also

responsible for setting the future strategic

goals and analyzing the Apprenticeship

programs’ performance to date. The council

maintains minutes of each meeting. This

information is available to any interested

person. The Council’s Minutes of meetings

of 2017 state some goals and strategies

regarding apprenticeship programs.

According to them:

• The DEO and CareerSource Florida

are currently working together on the

Expansion Grant, which will assist in

expanding registered apprenticeship into

new industries and underrepresented

populations.

• Main focus on developing

programs will be toward the industries

that are not well represented among

apprenticeship programs: information

technologies, healthcare, and advanced

manufacturing.

• The Council is working on the

Registered Apprenticeship (RA) program

at Florida federal prison for women,

which will prepare women for call-center

jobs.

• Apprenticeship programs in

Florida are implementing new U.S. Equal

EmploymentOpportunity Commission

(EEOC) Rules and Regulations that came

out on December 19, 2016, to extend

protection against discrimination and

provide flexibility if the program has

Affirmative Action Plan. The registered

programs have time till December 2018

to come into compliance with these rules.

• One of the main goals of

Apprenticeship department is to attract

funding for apprenticeship programs.

• The Florida ApprenticeshipUSA

project was awarded by the U.S.

Department of Labor to help the state

develop and implement comprehensive

strategies to support Registered

Apprenticeship to improve Florida’s state

economic, workforce and education

talent development and delivery systems.

It intends to provide an opportunity to


21

further state’s resources, and to innovate

and expand apprenticeship programs to

better respond to industry workforce

demands. Additionally, the goal of this

project is to develop and maintain

innovative public partnership involving

employers, industry organizations,

Registered Apprenticeship (RA)

sponsors, state and local workforce

development systems, secondary and

post-secondary institutions and non-

profit agencies. The project intends to

address Florida critical needs for skilled,

diverse workers in high-demand and

growing industries (construction, health

services, manufacturing, and information

technology). Key partners include the

Department of Economic Opportunity,

CareerSource Florida, the Department of

Education Apprenticeship Office, Local

Workforce Development Boards, and

Industry intermediaries.

The money flow for apprenticeship

programs

A single employer or a group of

employers can become sponsors for an

apprenticeship program. Sponsors can

regulate specific program standards;

however, all registered programs should

follow the industry occupational standards to

provide authenticity and consistency in

certification. Apprentices enrolled at public

institutions do not have to pay registration,

matriculation, and lab fees. As

Apprenticeship sponsor, an employer selects

apprentices to participate in programs based

on selection criteria that are defined in the

program standards. An apprentice is

sponsored by the employer who pays all

required fees, except for books, which cost

about $100 per year. In some cases,

employers reimburse apprentices upon

completion of the program.

The cost for an employer to sponsor the

apprentice varies depending on the trade and

apprenticeship program. The Florida

Electrical Apprenticeship Association states

that the cost is $500.00 per year for the

training services and is paid by the

contractor. Book fees vary in cost and depend

on courses. More, the sponsor pays an

apprentice the wage that also differs based on

the trade. In the Apprenticeship Program of

the Associated General Contractors, most

apprenticeship training costs are paid via a

contract with Broward County Schools and

the State of Florida. Therefore, there are no

costs to the student and only minimal costs

are imposed on the contractor- sponsor. The

sponsor is responsible only for $350 fee per

student enrolled and also pays for books.


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Apprentices receive credit for working on the job and for related classroom training.

Figure 10 - Money flow for an individual in the Apprenticeship program

Over $1 billion for employment and

training services is available through

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

programs across the country. It provides not

only funds to support on-the-job training and

related instructions but also assists

apprentices with some supportive services.

Apprentices can also apply to the Federal

Financial Aid if eligible. If the apprenticeship

program is connected to LEA program of

study, then apprentices may be eligible for

Pell Grants, $3,000 on average per

apprentice. Pell Grant covers tuition, books

and lab fees. Additionally, LEA may choose

to provide federal work-study grants, $2,000

on average per apprentice.

Registered Apprenticeship programs can

also assist current and future Veteran

apprentices in accessing the earned benefits.

Veterans who are eligible for the GI Bill can

receive wage similar to apprentices and also

an additional tax-free monthly stipend (which

is paid by the U.S. Department of Veteran

Affairs). Veterans also receive tuition and fee

payments for classroom instructions.

Registered Apprenticeship program sponsors

can be certified under the GI Bill usually

within 30 days.

• Program funding

• Industry sponsors

• Federal grants

• WIOA

Input

• LEAs:

• Related class instructions

Processing• Apprentices:

• Tuition fees

• Books, class materials (in some cases)

Output


23

With the access to multiple funding

sources both, employers and WIOA

participants can offset the costs of

apprenticeship.

The expenditures by program across the

state

According to Florida’s Statue, The

Department of Apprenticeship programs

makes necessary expenditures from the

appropriation provided by law for personal

services, travel, printing, equipment, office

space, and supplies as provided by law.

Although some sponsors of registered

apprenticeship programs provide their own

classroom instruction, some of them

cooperate with local school districts and

community colleges. The State of Florida

also contributes funds to apprenticeship

programs through a provision in the General

Appropriations Act that coordinates base and

performance funding to workforce programs

through aid to local governments

(community colleges and school districts).

More, the state’s administrative costs

associated with carrying out legislative intent

regarding apprenticeship are funded through

general revenue.

Tracking individual trainees

According to the Department of

Education, the data regarding tracking the

individual trainees is only available through

federal Department of Labor RAPID system.

The Registered Apprenticeship Partners

Information Data System (RAPIDS)

maintains the majority of Registered

Apprenticeship programs data on an

individual level from the 25 state programs

administered by Office of Apprenticeship

(OA), as well as nine state programs

administered by State Apprenticeship

Agencies (SAA).

RAPID keeps information about

apprentices and Registered Apprenticeship

programs. This data includes demographic

information (age, race, etc.), level of

education, contact information and

apprentice’s enrollment status in a program

(incomplete registration, registered,

completed). Moreover, RAPID includes the

duration of on-the-job instruction, the related

instruction provider, the employer

identification number related to the

apprentice, apprentice wage rates, and the

type of program (e.g. single or multiple

employers, covered or not covered by a

collective bargaining agreement).

Nevertheless, not everyone can have access

to data, and the Office of Apprenticeship


24

website posts only limited apprenticeship

data. However, a public-friendly

recordkeeping tool would be useful to

potential apprentices, employers, program

sponsors, and researchers.

The policy about the electronic record

keeping by program sponsors operating

apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and on-

the-job training programs was created in the

State of Florida to develop more flexible

recordkeeping system. This policy applies to

all registered apprenticeship, pre-

apprenticeship, and on-the-job training

program sponsors. It refers to all electronic

recordkeeping systems used by program

sponsors for registered apprenticeship

program records and includes

microcomputers, minicomputers, mainframe

computers, and image recording systems

(regardless of storage media) in the network

or stand-alone configuration. Electronic

records include numeric, graphics, audio,

video, and textual information recorded or

transmitted in analog or digital form.

Lack of data records limits the potential

and the improvement of the Apprenticeship

programs. First of all, every individual who

completes a Registered Apprenticeship

program receives a certificate of completion

from OA. The data of the number of issued

certificates could show the demand in the

program over time, and the proportion of

individuals completing the program with

certificates would disclose if apprentices are

successfully completing their programs or

not. Secondly, accessible data would enable

employment outcomes. Data about

apprentices being employed or staying

unemployed after completing the program,

and in which industries or occupations they

are employed, would show if apprentices are

obtaining market-relevant skills. It is also

important to track whether apprentices retain

employment over time with the employer

who sponsored their apprenticeship. It is

essential because employers-sponsors in the

Registered Apprenticeship program invest in

training apprentices to have skilled workers

and would like to understand if they can to

recompense their investment in training and

hiring the apprentice. Thirdly, data regarding

wages during the apprenticeship would show

how fair apprentices are being paid during

their training. Data regarding wages after

completion the Apprenticeship program

would show whether graduates are earning

enough to sustain family’s incomes. Finally,

all Registered Apprenticeship programs

should be equitable. Accordingly,

employment and wage outcomes, as well as

certificate attainment, should be calculated

for various underrepresented demographics.


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This would help to ensure all participants

achieve similar results.

TOPIC 4:

Future Plans

Outreach and marketing plan for the

apprenticeship programs: relations with

local workforce boards and companies

According to the Florida Chamber, more

than 400,000 people are looking for jobs,

while 232,000 jobs are available for

recruitment annually. Florida’s businesses

and workforce development, economic

development, and education agencies are

collaborating to bridge this gap by focusing

on apprenticeship programs. The National

Office of Apprenticeship, under the U.S.

Department of Labor, has set a goal of

doubling and diversifying the number of

apprenticeships by 2019. Florida was

recently selected to help achieve this goal

through the ApprenticeshipUSA initiative.

Florida ApprenticeshipUSA project was

created to develop and maintain innovative

public partnership involving employers,

industry organizations, Registered

Apprenticeship (RA) sponsors, state and

local workforce development systems,

secondary and post-secondary institutions

and non-profit agencies across the country.

Florida is the third largest state in the US,

with the quite low unemployment rate (3.8

percent in September 2017), and record job

growth. To ensure that business needs for

skilled workersin demanding industries are

always at the forefront. ApprenticeshipFLA

(ApprenticeshipUSA Florida branch)

identified four focus-industries for statewide

outreach: manufacturing, healthcare,

information technology, and construction.

Underrepresented Floridians - women,

minorities, veterans, ex-offenders, and youth

- will also be engaged to the program, as they

use apprenticeships as an entry point of

career pathways to wealthy future.

The State of Florida is focused on expanding

Registered Apprenticeships and finding the

funding sources by establishing partnerships

and closer collaboration with other state

agencies. Thus, workforce and educational

partners across the state united to bridge gaps

to empower the state’s sector strategy

initiatives and provide benefits for both

businesses and potential apprentices (Figure

11). Highlighting the need to refer the

apprenticeship program as a model that helps

employers build a skilled workforce, major

workforce-related organizations across the

state were invited for their experience and

knowledge to create Apprenticeship Catalyst

Workgroups aimed to improve four focus

areas: Governance/Policy, Business


26

Outreach, Population Outreach, and Data

Sharing. Business outreach aims to bridge

existing apprenticeship program sponsors

(about 3,000 in total) related by sub-state

territories within the four critical industry

categories; to determine business advocates

and champions; to create outreach materials

with a value proposition; to determine and

foster linkages with statewide business

groups and industry associations.

Population Outreach aims to explore Career

and Technical Education and vocational

rehabilitation programs for possible

engagement; to determine best methods to

engage youth and other special groups in

apprenticeship programs; to create marketing

and outreach materials for special groups of

individuals.

Figure 11 - Benefits of participating in the Apprenticeship programs

Another way that the Apprenticeship

programs are developing statewide

partnerships is by promoting the use of

apprenticeship by the workforce system and

implementing the state’s Sector Strategies

initiative. The Sector Strategies initiative

aims to empower the local system to use

statewide partnerships not only to develop

training programs but also to establish better

career pathways. Only 4 of Florida’s 24

Local Workforce Development Boards

actively use apprenticeship as part of

providing services, and less than one percent

of all participants of WIOA programs are

engaged in apprenticeship. However, it was

determined that apprenticeship is a proved

model for building talents and skilled

workforce, which assists in faster growth and

improvement of the sector and career

pathways.


27

The state of Florida partnering with sub-

state regions, local workforce development

boards have been working together focusing

on expanding apprenticeship across the state.

In July 2017, they held an Apprenticeship

101 training webinar that gathered

Apprenticeship Training Representatives of 6

regions of the State’s Apprenticeship Agency

and Business Service Representatives from

the state’s 24 local workforce development

boards. This cross-organization training

event helped to demonstrate how

apprenticeships could be integrated into the

career pathways model using WIOA funds

without visible structural changes. Another

method to promote the program on the state

level is to involve a diverse group of

stakeholders and to design value for

apprenticeship. Moreover, every week the

Florida Department of Education’s Office of

Apprenticeship and the Department of

Economic Opportunity together with

CareerSource Florida are hosting strategy

sessions to coordinate policies, people, and

processes as part of statewide system

integration and ApprenticeshipUSA grant

compliance.

As another marketing strategy to promote

Apprenticeship program is engaging the state

to participate in the National Apprenticeship

Week (NAW). Apprenticeship programs

have been the main part of the career training

process in the United States. Therefore, to

follow the technology development and

demand changes, the push for such training

programs are completely faded. Despite this,

the importance of apprenticeship to those

ready to learn a new skill or trade is still

visible. In the U.S. it has led to an annual

week of apprenticeship awareness. It is a

National Celebration that was created by the

Department of Labor, which offers leaders in

business, labor, education, and other strategic

partners an opportunity to support the

Apprenticeship. NAW also gives

apprenticeship sponsors the opportunity to

showcase their programs, facilities, and

apprentices in their community. The weekly

events highlight the benefits of

Apprenticeship in preparing a highly skilled

workforce to meet the talent needs of

employers across diverse industries. In June

2018, the CareerSource Florida and its

partners will be hosting an

Apprenticeship/Career Pathways Summit to

present best practices for integrating

registered apprenticeships and career

pathways as part of a smooth talent pipeline.

Workforce boards and the apprenticeship

system have the same basic goals: they

connect workers to economic opportunity

while responding to employers in high-


28

demand industries.

Figure 12 - Funding sources for Registered Apprenticeships

Workforce boards provide a wide range

of roles as apprenticeship partners. They

provide funding, oversight or guidance,

create partnerships with employers, and

directly provide program services. Funding

for apprenticeships is of major importance

because they are not cheap and require

funding resources for on-the-job training and

related instructions for a year or more. Many

apprenticeship stakeholders prefer to partly

partner with workforce boards as a funding

strategy. In fact, a number of boards have

dedicated resources to apprenticeship. Local

workforce boards are either providing

funding for apprenticeship activities or

successfully applying and gathering external

funds to expand their apprenticeship work.

Figure 12 shows the accessible funding

sources for both- apprentices and their

sponsors.

The renewed focus of the state on

apprenticeships and the fresh insights of

industries, education and workforce experts

can further strengthen and diversify state’s

booming economy. The collaboration and

commitment to improve and develop strong

apprenticeship programs throughout the state

is a testament to Florida’s plan of actions on

a demanding national issue.


29

Who works with businesses to get

workers hired and into apprenticeships?

Florida employers that are interested in

sponsoring a registered apprenticeship

program should first contact the

Apprenticeship Department or the regional

representatives. The office will provide

information about new and existing programs

across the state. Employers can either

become a sponsor in an existing program or

they can develop a new program in

cooperation with apprenticeship training

representatives. Sponsors of new programs

define their own training standards with the

assistance of experienced Apprenticeship

Training Representatives (ATR), who will

monitor and coordinate the development and

implementation of registered programs. The

Florida Department of Education, Division of

Career and Adult Education, Apprenticeship

Section is the authorized entity, which

implements and oversees apprenticeship

programs for state and local purposes.

Currently, ATRs coordinate approximately

200 active programs throughout the state.

They assist sponsors with program service

delivery and support on apprenticeship

matters statewide.

To become a registered apprentice,

potential candidates must apply for registered

apprentice positions. Admission

requirements and eligibility vary depending

on the program since the sponsors define the

specific training needs. However, minimum

requirements are set by federal rules.

Individuals willing to participate in registered

apprenticeship programs can also ask their

current employer about existing

apprenticeship opportunities. Or, they can

contact the Apprenticeship representative

office, regional CareerSource Centers, or ask

what is offered through local community

colleges or technical centers.


30

References:

1. Apprenticeship: Completion and cancellation in the building trade (2013). The Aspen Institute. Available

at: www.aspenwsi.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/aspen_apprenticeship.pdf

2. CareerSource Florida website. Available at: https://careersourceflorida.com

3. Data USA. Construction sector. Available at: https://datausa.io/profile/naics/23/Florida

4. Sullivan, J., Kibert, C. J., Fenner, A. E., & Morque, S. (2017). “Florida construction workforce taskforce

report”. (Tech. Report). University of Florida: doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.13673.90728

5. Department of Education. Data Reports: Adult education. Available at:


6. Florida Administrative Code. Department 38. Available at:


7. Florida Department of Education. Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (2016). Available at:


8. The 2017 Florida Statutes. Available at:

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0446/0446.html

9. The Florida Senate House bills. Available at:

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2018/1021/?Tab=RelatedBills

10. Florida Jobs Annual Report 2016-2017. Available at:

http://www.floridajobs.org/docs/default-source/reports-and-legislation/2017-deo-annual-report.pdf?sfvrsn=2

11. US Department of Labor – Employment and training administration. Registered Apprenticeship

National Results. Available at: https://www.doleta.gov/oa/data_statistics2011.cfm

12. http://www.workforcedqc.org/sites/default/files/images/3%2031%20Apprentice_FAQ_2pg_web.pdf

13. https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2017/11/25/growing-apprenticeships-strengthen-economy-

guestview/884647001/

14. http://www.floridajobs.org/local-workforce-development-board-resources

15. http://nawb.org/documents/JFF%20NAWB%2006052017_FINAL.PDF

16. http://www.floridajobs.org/labormarketinformation/publicationsandreports/labormarket

informationreports/regionaldemandoccupationslist

17. https://www.doleta.gov/reports/searcheta/occ/papers/RIG.Vol.Two.Florida_4-22-04.pdf

http://www.aspenwsi.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/aspen_apprenticeship.pdf

https://datausa.io/profile/naics/23/Florida




http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0446/0446.html

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2018/1021/?Tab=RelatedBills

http://www.floridajobs.org/docs/default-source/reports-and-legislation/2017-deo-annual-report.pdf?sfvrsn=2

https://www.doleta.gov/oa/data_statistics2011.cfm

http://www.workforcedqc.org/sites/default/files/images/3%2031%20Apprentice_FAQ_2pg_web.pdf

https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2017/11/25/growing-apprenticeships-strengthen-economy-guestview/884647001/

https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2017/11/25/growing-apprenticeships-strengthen-economy-guestview/884647001/

http://www.floridajobs.org/local-workforce-development-board-resources

http://nawb.org/documents/JFF%20NAWB%2006052017_FINAL.PDF

https://www.doleta.gov/reports/searcheta/occ/papers/RIG.Vol.Two.Florida_4-22-04.pdf

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