Assessment of National Industry Intermediaries’ and National Equity Partners’ Efforts to Expand Apprenticeship Opportunities

In September 2016, to expand apprenticeship opportunities across the United States, the Office of Apprenticeship in the U.S. Department of Labor awarded $20.4 million over four years in competitive one-year, renewable contracts to 10 national industry intermediaries and 4 national equity partners. The main purpose of these contracts was to complement OA’s work in expanding the availability of and access to registered apprenticeships. The industry intermediaries contributed to that goal by developing new occupational frameworks and apprenticeship programs in particular industry sectors. The equity partners supported apprenticeship programs in their efforts to become more diverse and inclusive, and increase the participation of underrepresented populations, including women, people of color, and people with disabilities. Based primarily on interviews with these organizations, this paper assesses the strategies the industry intermediaries and equity partners implemented, the challenges they have experienced, and their successes and setbacks in meeting these challenges.