Narrative: b. 2.

Registered Apprenticeship initiatives have been and will remain a continued strategy for New Jersey. This model, by design, incorporates both the theory and work-based/experiential learning components that business and industry often request, and simultaneously creates career pathways for participants. WIOA has provided an increased focus on Registered Apprenticeship as a model for education and training. New Jersey welcomes the opportunity to build upon existing initiatives and create new opportunities to expand quality Registered Apprenticeship programs that incorporate the appropriate level of classroom theory and work-based/experiential learning that has been proven to provide highly skilled workers to many industries. These high-quality Registered Apprenticeship programs provide industry-valued credentials that are both portable and stackable. Strategies to incorporate Registered Apprenticeships are project-specific, allowing LWD and its partners to build specific solutions to identified needs and incorporate promising practices gleaned from previous projects.

As described in previous sections, New Jersey intends to utilize its sector initiatives towards increasing its Registered Apprenticeship efforts. The highlights of some prior initiatives include:

Community Health Worker Pilot: LWD worked collaboratively with Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations through the Health Care Talent Network to launch a pilot Community Health Worker (CHW) apprenticeship program. The CHW apprenticeship training was funded through the Bergen County College Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant program. CHWs receive employment experience, placement and a nationally recognized apprenticeship certificate. The pilot program recruited 20 participants from various counties to serve in advocacy and outreach capacities for the community and help individuals to access appropriate health resources. CHWs complete 160 hours of mandatory in-class training, offered at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, followed by 2,100 hours of on-the job training and finally employment placement. Rutgers anticipates expanding this apprenticeship opportunity throughout New Jersey to other low income and dislocated workers over the next few years and has set an enrollment target of 1,500 participants.

The SETC and the Council on Gender Parity in Labor and Education will continue to work with partners, to identify Registered Apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship opportunities within demand industries. In addition, efforts to strengthen or create linkages between these programs and WIOA and One-Stop services for eligible candidates will become a priority as part of their mission to advocate for equitable gender, labor practices and pay in educational programs and workforce training. Some efforts already underway, with support of the SETC and GPC are:

Sisters in the Brotherhood (SIB)

A recruitment and retention effort imparted upon the New Jersey Locals of the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters (NRCC) by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters (International). The initiative focuses on reaching a goal to have women represent a minimum of 10 percent of all registered apprentices within the trade by 2019, and maintaining that percentage moving forward. The lessons learned have influenced positive modifications to the recruitment, support, education and training programs within the NRCC. Since its inception, the effort has established relationships with community and faith-based partners, vocational schools, guidance counselors, Workforce Development Boards, One-Stop Career Centers, correctional institutions, and other government agencies, to name a few. The NRCC has created a pre-apprenticeship program to support women who have expressed an interest in the field but require additional preparation. The implementation of the SIB pre-apprenticeship program has had a positive influence on the outcomes and success of the program. This program is a win-win for non-traditional careers for women, as it provides equal pay for equal work, demonstrates career pathways and utilizes Registered Apprenticeship as the method of training and education.

Women in Sustainable Employment (WISE) Pathways

A career-exploration course designed for women to explore nontraditional, in-demand jobs in the construction, gas, water, electric and energy industries, with some occupations being Registered Apprenticeship programs. This forty-hour program was created to educate women about the career paths in these industries, and provide strategies in conflict management, team building, and workplace expectations. Additional focus is placed on résumé writing, practice online applications and interviewing; and participants can be connected with recruiters from participating companies. This program was designed and implemented through a quality partnership between employers, organized labor and higher education, to design and implement this career exploration program. The goal is to expand the initiative into other counties, post-secondary educational institutions and employers in the future.