To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Sasha Easton, Director, Arapahoe/Douglas Works!, Community Resources Department; Katherine Smith, Director, Community Resources Department
Prepared By:
prepared
Emily Tapia, Workforce Administrator, Arapahoe/Douglas Works!; Benjamin Rosenberg, Apprenticeship Manager, Arapahoe/Douglas Works!
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presenter
Presenter: Benjamin Rosenberg, Apprenticeship Manager, Arapahoe/Douglas Works!
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Subject:
title
2:00 PM *Apprenticeship Building America Grant Application
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
Arapahoe/Douglas Works! is requesting approval from the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) to submit an application for the Apprenticeship Building America, Round 2 Grant to expand the work of the Apprenticeship Hub in supporting industry development and implementation of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. The Arapahoe/Douglas Works! Workforce Development Board and Arapahoe/Douglas Works! staff recommend that the Chair of the Board of County Commissioners or the Director of the Community Resource Department be authorized to approve the Arapahoe/Douglas Workforce Development Board application.
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Background and Discussion: Arapahoe County Government serves as the grant recipient and fiscal agent for funds distributed to the Arapahoe/Douglas local workforce area, including federal, state and foundation funds allocated for workforce development programs and services within the Arapahoe/Douglas region. Arapahoe/Douglas Works! serves as the fiscal agent of a temporary grant-funded statewide Registered Apprenticeship Hub comprised of a manager, coordinator, and apprenticeship consultants funded through the State Apprenticeship Expansion (SAE) Grant, the Apprenticeship State Expansion (ASE) Grant, and Innovation, Diversity, Equity in Apprenticeships (IDEA) Grant. The application deadline for the Apprenticeship Building America, Round 2 grant is April 15, 2024, and an anticipated award announcement date was not provided. The start of the grant performance period will be July 1, 2024.
The work of the Registered Apprenticeship Hub has been abundantly successful in providing guidance and actions to support the development, implementation, and continuity of apprenticeships throughout Colorado, including the Arapahoe/Douglas Workforce Region. The remaining IDEA grant funding for the Hub is set to expire on March 31, 2025, and the Hub will dissolve once all funding has expired. With support from the Hub, Arapahoe/Douglas Works! has been highly successful with the SAE, ASE, and IDEA grants, meeting both measurable outcomes and established goals for serving both employers and job seekers. As the expansion of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship opportunities are a priority for workforce development across industries, Arapahoe/Douglas Works! has identified this grant as an opportunity in which the work of the Hub can be expanded to further increase the number of registered apprenticeship programs and high-quality pre-apprenticeship programs available in the state. In order to expand the work of the Registered Apprenticeship Hub, Arapahoe/Douglas Works! seeks approval to apply for funding through the Apprenticeship Building America, Round 2 Grant, specifically under Category 3: Local/Regional Registered Apprenticeship Hub.
Category 3 of the Apprenticeship Building America, Round 2 Grant allows for funding of a local/regional registered apprenticeship hub that aims to engage and support industries regarding the development and implementation of registered apprenticeship programs and high-quality pre-apprenticeship programs, build partnerships that result in new or expanded apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, engage underrepresented populations and underserved community to ensure they gain access to the high quality career pathways available through apprenticeships, leverage resources to ensure programs are supported through available grant funding, and assist in policy and system alignment efforts related to apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. Currently, the Registered Apprenticeship Hub does all of these tasks, putting us in a unique position to be highly qualified for this grant opportunity. The current goal of the Registered Apprenticeship Hub is to perform all of the above tasks while training local workforce centers to be adept in all things related to apprenticeship, so once the Hub funding expires, all local workforce centers will be able to effectively engage businesses and job seekers on the topic of apprenticeships.
The Hub has been highly successful in this but has recognized that there is still additional need for support of equity-focused community-based organizations, minority-serving organizations, and other similar organizations involved with apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships. The goal of the Hub, if awarded this grant, would be to change the current consulting service that aims to connect registered apprenticeship programs and workforce development centers, and become an effective consulting service for the intersection of community-based organizations, apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, and workforce development. This new focus is expected to result in a larger percentage of individuals from underserved and underrepresented communities gaining access to high-quality career pathways through apprenticeships.
Fiscal Impact: If the grant is approved and received, Arapahoe/Douglas Works! will receive up to $6,000,000.00 in funding for staff, administration, technology, indirect costs, and an employer incentive opportunity to be used over 48 months. Arapahoe/Douglas Works! is requesting the specific amount of grant funding:
$1,827,156.81- direct personnel;
$435,651.79- fringe benefits for direct personnel;
$54,847.40- travel;
$20,000.00- equipment;
$30,244.00- supplies;
$3,000,000.00- contractual (employer incentive);
$632,100.00- indirect cost;
total- $6,000,000.00.
This grant does not require any matching funds. Additionally, this grant will not require or result in new personnel positions. The funding would support the existing Registered Apprenticeship Hub team that includes 5 regionally based Consultants, a Grant Coordinator, and an Apprenticeship Manager. If the grant application is not approved, the current funding for the Registered Apprenticeship Hub will expire on March 31, 2025. Of the staff on that team, three team members have retained their Full-Time Employment status and may resume employment with Arapahoe/Douglas Works! upon the conclusion of the grant by integrating into existing roles based on business need.
Alternatives: If the grant application is not approved, the Registered Apprenticeship Hub will not expand services and will be dissolved March 31, 2025, due to the expiration of current grant funding.
Alignment with Strategic Plan:
☒Be fiscally sustainable
☐Provide essential and mandated service
☒Be community focused
Staff Recommendation: This request is supported by the Arapahoe/Douglas Workforce Development Board, Arapahoe/Douglas Works!, and The Office of the Future of Work at Colorado Department of Labor & Employment.
Concurrence: Katherine Smith, Director, Arapahoe County Community Resources; Sasha Easton, Division Manager, Arapahoe/Douglas Works!; The Office of the Future of Work, CDLE