Welcome prospective Employer Partner. This is a brief introduction on how our pre apprenticeship program for local hires for manufacturing jobs with no experience works from your side.

The Registered Apprentice Program or RAP is a program set up by the US Department of Labor to connect workers (apprentices) with training (from employers and sponsors) in order to boost their job-skills and increase the competency of the overall workforce available to employers.  Partnering with MRSW will allow you to build a qualified labor pool as well as receive benefits as a result of your participation through programs like the Inflation Reduction Act.  This will be a brief overview of the program that we hope will answer many of the questions you might have about moving forward.  

Roles in the Registered Apprentice Program

There are four main components in the RAP program.

Sponsors (MRSW)

MRSW is a sponsor group within the RAP program, which provides coordination between the RAP program and companies like you. 

Sponsor responsibilities include: 

• Maintaining records in accordance with DOL regulations

• Preparing for, participating in, and resolving DOL program audits

• Working with DOL to develop program standards, RTI and work processes

• Registering apprentices and reporting their progress to DOL 

• Providing Related Training (classroom) Instruction to program apprentices

Employers

Employers in the apprenticeship program provide the on the job training to apprentices.   Employers in our program will work with MRSW to develop a customized work process appropriate to their strengths and needs, and then follow that process to provide on-the-job training to apprentices in the program.

Employer responsibilities include:

• Retaining employer-specific program records
• Collecting and submitting Form ETA-671 for each apprentice
• Providing on the job instruction to apprentices
• Providing relevant apprentice records to MRSW 

Apprentices

Apprentices are the main beneficiaries of the RAP program.  They receive on-the-job training from the employers and related instruction from MRSW to grow their skills and advance their career in their chosen occupation and industry.   Apprentices may be existing employee within an organization, or they may be new hires selected specifically to participate in the company’s apprenticeship program. 

How it Works

Your first step in becoming a RAP employer partnered with MRSW is to contact us to set up a time to discuss the program and answer your questions in detail.   Once you have decided you wish to partner with MRSW, we will work with you to tailor the program to your needs starting with creating two documents:  Appendix A and Appendix D.

Appendix D

Appendix D is the form that acknowledges your company is enrolling into the RAP with MRSW as your sponsor.  This is likely the first document you will sign after determining you wish to participate in the RAP program.  Appendix D covers the basic details of your relationship with MRSW and the RAP program.

Appendix A

Appendix A outlines your company’s specific responsibilities and the services to be provided to apprentices as part of the program.  It is a negotiable document specific to your company.  While some parameters will be set by the Department of Labor, many others will be tailored to the training your company will provide.

Setting up the Program

Once the contract framework has been established, it’s time to set up the program itself.  The three main areas that should be addressed before training begins are:  Billing, Preparing for Related Instruction, and Setting up the On the Job Apprentice Program (RAPIDS). 

Billing

As part of the RAP program and partnering with MRSW, it is important to make sure that all logistical issues related to financial matters are clarified.   Once your company-specific details are agreed upon, we establish processes for all related financial items such as billing, invoice schedule, purchase order #’s, etc.

Preparing for Related Instruction

MRSW will provide related classroom instruction to apprentices in tandem with their on-the-job training.   As both on-the-job and classroom training must happen simultaneously, you should set up your company for related instruction as soon as possible.  

Setting up the On the Job Apprentice Program

Once you have signed Appendix D, created an Appendix A with MRSW, and plans for related instruction are in place, it’s time to start adding apprentices and training them.  Apprentices can be new or current employees and their selection should follow the agreed upon standards from your Appendix A.  Once apprentices are selected, they are added to the RAPIDS database, and on the job training can begin.  

Sample Documents

MRSW can provide sample documents to assist you in the process of administering the program.  Documents include:

• Appendix A (generic blank)
• Appendix A (Sample for Specific Occupation) 
• Appendix B (also known as form ETA-671) in both generic blank and tailored to an occupation
• On-the-Job Training Log (generic blank)
• On-the-Job Training Log (Sample for Specific Occupation)

When requesting samples, please provide as much detail as possible, including things like if you will need to track more than one occupation on a single on the job training log and which occupations you need.  Many documents come with instructions as to their use, but should you need instructions or have questions about their proper use, please don’t hesitate to ask. We look forward to hearing from you!

If you are an Employer and would like to see if our pre apprenticeship program can be tailored for your needs, please contact us at 1-409-982-0522 or info@digitalworkforceacademy.org

If you know someone who could benefit from this free pre apprenticeship training for a industry job apprenticeship, please tell them to apply at https://gtec-triangle.org/apply