Individual joint

The employer chooses what occupations to apprentice and notifies the regional Federal Office of Apprenticeship or State Apprenticeship and Training Office of their intention to apply for sponsorship.

The Sponsor decides what approach - Time-Based, Competency-Based, or Hybrid - fits their training program to effectively graduate their journey workers. See Choose Your Apprenticeship Approach | Jobs for the Future (JFF).

Once the employer chooses the occupations for their program, the JATC would designate subject matter experts to define the skill requirements. The SMEs are workers who are the best at the job and managers that know the skills required to do the job. Once the employer approves the content, then it's time to decide how to structure the on-the-job learning. Enroll in Establish Competency-Based and Hybrid Apprenticeship for information about the options for assessing the apprentices' progress.

The Sponsor will designate training providers as partners that may assist with curriculum development and instructors to provide the RTI.

It's recommended for the employer and union to form a "Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee" for oversight of the program.

Some State Apprenticeship and Training Offices may require a JATC to complete the Standards of Apprenticeship. The JATC oversees the program and ensures the success of the apprentice to meet the skills required by the employer. JATC representatives should have the authority to ensure the success of the program, coordinate scheduling, and advocate for the apprentices.

The Union and employer may agree to proceed with the Union role as representing the apprentices but not governing the program. In this case, the Federal Office of Apprenticeship may provide a waiver form for the union officers to sign if the union leadership agrees.

If agreed, the Union and Management will designate representatives that will have the authority to oversee the program, ensure the success of the program, coordinate scheduling, and advocate for the apprentices. The JATC should consist of an equal number of members representing the union and management. The JATC members will be authorized by their organizations to make decisions. The JATC functions through a labor-management joint decision-making process.

The JATC will designate subject matter experts (SMEs) to form a curriculum development subcommittee to customize the content for the program. The SMEs are employees who are the best at the job and managers that know the skills required to do the job. The customization process engages management and hourly employees to promote buy-in from the various levels of the organization to ensure the employers' perspectives are integral to the program design. The Sponsor will designate training providers as partners that may assist with curriculum development and instructors to provide the RTI. It is recommended that the SMEs and training providers form a curriculum development subcommittee. This subcommittee would identify applicable courseware and instructors to deliver for the RTI.

The JATC is a board of representatives from the Union and an employer or employers dedicated to customizing the highest quality registered apprenticeship (RA). The JATC is responsible for the following:

The strategy for the development and implementation of RA standards
Oversight of, and accountability for, the effectiveness of the standards to meet industry requirements
Leading the review, development, maintenance, and improvement of the program
Anticipation and mitigation of risks to the successful implementation of the standards
Resolution of issues at any stage of a program's lifecycle.

Labor and management share a common goal - to create the most effective apprenticeship for their employees/members. They work cooperatively through joint decision-making and problem-solving. Joint governance promotes a shared understanding of problems for the company, union, and apprentices so that decisions take into account the interests of all parties.

The starting point for any RA program is for the Union and employers to form a JATC.

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The JATC establishes the decision-making process to...

Designate the occupation for the program
Designate Apprenticeship Coordinators – Union and Management
Form a labor-management curriculum development subcommittee and identify subject matter experts (SME) for courseware and program design
Validate the work process for the occupation and customize as needed
Finalize the Related Technical Instruction (RTI) and designate a training provider
Formalize the On the-Job-Training (OJT) content
Establish recruitment policies and assessment processes

Duties of the JATC may include to...

Register the local apprenticeship standards with federal Office of Apprenticeship or State Apprenticeship and Training Council
Develop a strategy to sustain the program
Cooperate in the selection of apprentices as outlined in this program
Ensure that all apprentices are registered with written apprenticeship agreements and data is entered into the Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Data System (RAPIDS) or state system as required
Provide each apprentice with a copy of the standards, along with any applicable written rules and policies
Require the apprentice to sign an acknowledgment receipt of same and follow this procedure whenever revisions or modifications are made to the rules and policies
Maintain records of all apprentices, showing their education, experience, and progress in learning the occupation.
Review and recommend apprenticeship activities in accordance with this program
Establish the minimum standards of education and experience required of apprentices
Hear and resolve all complaints of violations of apprenticeship agreements
Arrange evaluations of apprentices' progress in attaining skills and technical knowledge
Certify to the Office of Apprenticeship or State Apprentice and Training Office that apprentices have successfully completed their registered apprenticeship program
Notify the Office of Apprenticeship or State Apprenticeship and Training Office, within forty 45 days, of all new apprentices to be registered, credit granted, suspensions for any reason, reinstatements, extensions, completions, and cancellations with explanation of causes
Supervise all the provisions of the local standards and be responsible, in general, for the successful operation of the standards by performing the duties
Cooperate with public and private agencies, which can be of assistance in obtaining publicity to develop public support of apprenticeship
When notified that an apprentice's instruction or on-the-job progress is found to be unsatisfactory, the program sponsor will determine whether the apprentice should continue in a probationary status and may require the apprentice to repeat a process or series of processes before advancing to the next wage classification. Should it be found during this determination that the apprentice does not have the ability or desire to continue the training to become a journey worker, the program sponsor will, after the apprentice has been given adequate assistance and opportunity for corrective action, terminate the apprenticeship agreement, as provided in the RA code.
The program sponsor will provide each apprentice with continuous employment sufficient to provide the opportunity for completion of his or her registered apprenticeship program. If the program sponsor is unable to fulfill its training and/or employment obligation in conformance with these standards, the program sponsor will, with the apprentice's consent, make a good-faith effort to facilitate a transfer of the apprentice to another program sponsor for completion of a registered apprenticeship.

If conditions of business make it necessary to temporarily suspend the period of the registered apprenticeship, apprentices suspended for this reason will be given the opportunity to resume their active registered apprenticeships before any additional apprentices are employed. The suspension and reinstatement of apprentices shall be done in relation to retention of the most advanced apprentice and in accordance with the company policy for breaks in seniority.

Apprenticeship coordinator duties

A successful RA program requires coordination through a labor-management process. The JATC would appoint a manager and Union representative to serve as Apprenticeship Coordinators for program management. These individuals must be knowledgeable of the Collective Bargaining Agreement since seniority rights and job descriptions must be addressed.

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The Apprenticeship Coordinators provide the following services...

Administration of the program and documentation of the apprentices' progress and certifications
Counseling and advocacy for apprentices
Promotes and coordinates training as well as documents the apprentices' competencies for the state or federal apprentice tracking system
Ensures training is in accordance with Standards and in compliance for certification
Provides a linkage between industry standards, training providers, employers, and apprentices
Carries out specific related functions under the legislation and regulations respecting the designated trades and corresponding apprenticeship programs
Conducts apprenticeship training needs assessments with industry, communities, training providers, and intergovernmental agencies, ensures high-quality training and promotes the apprenticeship and certification opportunities to diverse audiences
Coordinates and administers apprenticeship agreements and examinations
Advises apprentices and employers of their rights and responsibilities under relevant legislation and regulations regarding apprenticeship programs and investigates matters of non-compliance under the legislation

While the JATC and the Apprenticeship Coordinator may administer the program, the employers choose what occupations to apprentice. Individual employers participating in the JATC may designate different occupations. They don't have to be all the same.

The employer establishes entry requirements for the apprentices. All apprenticeship procedures for Union represented employees must follow the collective bargaining agreement. The JATC oversees the process for candidates to be considered for enrollment into the programs. There are situations when the company seniority of the union member who is applying to enroll in an apprenticeship may be a consideration. This may require that enrollment starts with existing employees for promotional opportunities before enrolling new hires. A benefit of starting with existing employees offers the opportunity to troubleshoot the program and avoid disparity of treatment with new hires.

If there is no existing competency assessment for promotion, the JATC may institute other entry requirements. This may include standardized testing such as the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE). The Bennett Mechanical Aptitude Test is also used by some programs.

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