Center of Excellence

JOIN US

We are looking for workforce, education, and industry partners to participate in the Center’s work. To join in the Center’s work, please fill out this form.

To Learn More Contact info@coabe.org or call 888-432-6223

Join Us

NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK EVENTS

Using the Equitable Apprenticeship Toolkit in Adult Education
Tuesday, November 15

The Equitable Apprenticeship Toolkit is a resource intended to help those designing and running pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs to intentionally encourage and support the inclusion of apprentices who reflect the full diversity of our communities. Come learn what is included in the toolkit, some examples of its applications in adult education settings, and how it could be a resource for your team. Presented by Peter Simon, Jennie Mollica and Colleen Beck. 

Watch Archived Webinar

Women in Apprenticeship Summit 2022
Wednesday, November 16

Houston Community College Women in Apprenticeship Summit 2022 marks the 85th Anniversary of the National Apprenticeship Act and National Apprenticeship Week with an event on Nov. 16. This event is part of a nationwide celebration showcasing the impact that Registered Apprenticeship programs have on building the workforce and on economic, racial, and gender equity.

This event will feature a lineup of women leaders across high-demand industries along with representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor, Texas Workforce Commission, and others. Students, career seekers, and employers across the greater Houston area will attend. 

Get More Info

Embedding Equity in Your Registered Apprenticeship: Strategies to Advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in RA
Wednesday, November 16

Attend this special National Apprenticeship Week event featuring JFF experts, a Registered Apprenticeship employer, a community partner, and an apprentice to learn: how to implement practices outlined in JFF’s Program Design Framework for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Registered Apprenticeship, how partnerships can provide the support and expertise to help you develop an equitable apprenticeship program, how these changes positively impact the apprentice experience. This virtual event is open to all and is especially geared toward Registered Apprenticeship employers and sponsors. 

Watch Archived Webinar

Demystifying Registered Apprenticeship
Thursday, November 17

Learn what modern registered apprenticeship really is, how it functions, why it is a very viable career path for anyone in almost any occupation, and how to prepare for RA opportunities. Presented by Janene Kelley Erne.

Watch Archived Webinar

Using Student-centric Apprenticeship Pathways to Transition into High-quality Careers
Friday, November 18

In September of 2022, Sam was an unemployed, 23-year-old ex-offender residing in a rural community, with many hurdles and few opportunities. He discovered Learning Alliance (LAC), a workforce training institute that offers accelerated pathways to high-wage skills through a job search. Just two months later, Sam has multiple industry certifications under his belt and is employed as a cell tower technician with a base hourly wage of $22, overtime pay, full benefits, and career advancement opportunities. Sam is one of nearly 1,000 students who graduate from LAC each year and are placed into high-quality jobs, either before or within weeks following graduation. Sam’s story is not unique. Nearly 75% of LAC students are from underserved populations, justice-impacted, veterans, and/or not college-bound. Almost all are living in poverty. In this webinar, you will discover: how Learning Alliance leverages apprenticeship pathways and employer, community, and education partnerships to connect adult learners to the middle class through a student-centric model; why the telecom industry is one that should top the list for adult learners seeking an accelerated option to family-sustaining careers; and how adult education providers can partner with Learning Alliance to create a seamless transition for their program completers into a fully supported pre-apprentice or apprenticeship program. Presented by Margaret E. Bowman and Cesar Ruiz. 

Watch Archived Webinar

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLKIT

Harness the power of social media! More than 74% of people use social media every day. Customize some of our sample posts to show your support for National Apprenticeship Week and highlight your program on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Remember to use the #NAW22 hashtag to get your posts trending and to appear on Apprenticeship.gov! View the social media toolkit.

Download Toolkit

 


 

TAKING REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP TO SCALE

In July 2021, the United States Department of Labor launched four Registered Apprenticeship Program Technical Assistance Centers of Excellence to support Registered Apprenticeship Program expansion and modernization and provide Technical Assistance on a national level. COABE will serve as a dissemination partner for the Center for Strategic Partnerships and System Alignment for the Center of Excellence for Apprenticeships.

OUR WORK

Mission: To more rapidly and effectively align Registered Apprenticeship Program with our nation’s workforce and educational systems and accelerate Registered Apprenticeship Program adoption by industry.

Focus: The Center has four primary areas of focus:

  • Developing sustainable partnerships for workforce, education, and employer alignment
  • Providing Technical Assistance on a national scope
  • Engaging key stakeholders
  • Coordinating with federal and state investments

Approach: The Center will identify and disseminate proven local innovation in strategic partnerships and system alignment to accelerate Registered Apprenticeship Program adoption and scale nationally. Our work will initially focus on California, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, and Texas, and will expand to a minimum of five additional states over the course of four years.

Technical assistance products and services will be developed by the team and disseminated by COABE to the field of adult education.

Additional National Partners:

  • Safal Partners
  • National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP)
  • Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA)
  • National Disability Institute (NDl)
  • FASTPORT

WHY APPRENTICESHIP? WHY NOW?

America’s labor market is undergoing seismic change. Multiple forces including the pace of technology growth, demographic shifts, impacts of COVID-19, and talent gaps in critical fields and occupations are forcing employers to re-evaluate their workforce development. Forward-thinking organizations are turning to apprenticeship as a key component of their strategy to recruit, train, and retain workers to maintain competitive advantage.

Large-scale modernization of Registered Apprenticeship Program to align with industry demands and rapid scaling nationwide relies on better integration with our nation’s workforce and education systems. To achieve that goal the Center’s Technical Assistance production and dissemination will aim to:

  • facilitate partnership building and connectivity across workforce systems.
  • support new Registered Apprenticeship Program development.
  • create talent pipelines including pre-apprenticeship models and career pathways.
  • accelerate integrated service delivery.
  • inform new policy recommendations and development at the federal and state level.