A Registered Apprenticeship program is a written plan designed to move an apprentice from a low or no skill entry-level position to full occupational proficiency. These programs must meet parameters established under the National Apprenticeship Act that are designed to protect the welfare of the apprentice (see 29 C.F.R. Part 29). The Act and its promulgating regulations are administered by the Department of Labor (DoL) or a State Apprenticeship Agency approved by the Secretary of Labor for federal purposes.
Generally, a Registered Apprenticeship program is sponsored by an individual business or an employer association. However, in the case of TIRAP, an industry board develops and oversees the training and qualification standards and coordinates with the DoL or other appropriate registration agencies to approve individual employer’s participation in the program. This framework is unique within the requirements of the DoL. The primary intent will be to provide consistency in training and competency across the industry, which in turn will improve safety and training for workers and increase the availability of highly skilled workers necessary for billions of dollars worth of network deployment projects. Upon finishing the training program, an apprentice earns a “Completion of Registered Apprenticeship” certificate, a nationally-recognized credential that validates proficiency in an apprenticeable occupation. The program requires classroom and on the job (“OTJ”) training.
An apprenticeable occupation is one which is specified by industry and which must:
(a) Involve skills that are customarily learned in a practical way through a structured, systematic program of on-the-job supervised learning;
(b) Be clearly identified and commonly recognized throughout an industry;
(c) Involve the progressive attainment of manual, mechanical or technical skills and knowledge which, in accordance with the industry standard for the occupation, would require the completion of on-the-job learning to attain; and
(d) Require related instruction to supplement the on-the-job learning. (29 C.F.R. §29.4)
For more information on DoL Registered Apprenticeships, visit DoL’s Employment and Training Administration’s website at http://www.doleta.gov/oa/.