PIA’s Impact

Developed 110+ Collaborations to Turn Policy into Practice

We take a human centered design approach to our work, collaborating with subject matter experts (SMEs) to help tackle pressing policy challenges. By connecting with 110+ people we are able to create projects and resources that make an impact. We collaborate with and learn from these SMEs and a cross-sector network of organizations and individuals to advance apprenticeship opportunities for people with disabilities.

• In August 2022, PIA organized the Think Tank, “Expanding Inclusive and Accessible Apprenticeships for Black Americans with Disabilities in High-Growth, High-Demand Fields.” Participants, including leaders from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), advocacy organizations, and government, exchanged ideas and discussed next steps to ensure Black Americans with disabilities can access apprenticeships as a springboard to successful careers.
• PIA also hosted the Think Tank, “DEIA @ Work: Capturing Insights from the Clean Energy and Infrastructure Industries,” in February 2022. The event brought together government leaders from multiple agencies to discuss advancing apprenticeship-related federal policies and brainstorm new ways to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in clean energy and infrastructure related industries.
• We collaborated with ePolicyWorks to host the U.S. Department of Labor’s online dialogue, “Advancing Inclusive Apprenticeships: National Online Dialogue on Increasing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in Apprenticeships,” to collect input from the public on how to shape policies and practices that help create career opportunities for people with disabilities through apprenticeship.

Conducted More than 30 Presentations Nationwide

At conferences and events across the country, we raise awareness about how inclusive apprenticeship programs can help close the talent gap and influence employers to create inclusive programs. We connect with people working in apprenticeship-related organizations and HGHD industries. No matter the size of the event where we’re speaking, our audiences walk away with policies and tools to launch an inclusive apprenticeship program or revamp an existing program to be more inclusive.

• Presenting to groups of all sizes, we have shared our expertise at events including the SHRM Annual Conference, which is the largest HR conference in the world with more than 20,000 attendees, and at a Consumer Technology Association (CTA) Apprenticeship Coalition meeting, a roundtable event with technology leaders from companies including Amazon and IBM.

Presented to 1,500+ People

The people who attend our presentations serve various roles within their organizations. Attendees at our talks have included CEOs from Fortune 500 technology companies, HR and talent acquisition specialists, workforce development board members, government agency staff, policy experts, and more. Regardless of where they work, we provide every person who attends our sessions with the tools to advocate for advancing inclusive apprenticeship programs and an understanding of how inclusive apprenticeship can benefit employers, intermediaries, and jobseekers.

Served 2,100+ Apprentices

PIA’s intermediary partners share our vision to grow and expand apprenticeships for people with disabilities and underrepresented groups more broadly. With PIA’s guidance, our partners apply best practices of inclusion and accessibility in everything they do. They work tirelessly to ensure that the more than 2,100 apprentices they support, many of whom are people with disabilities, can succeed in their apprenticeship journeys and in their future careers.

• We share stories of change: Current and former apprentices from underserved communities, including those with disabilities, have advanced their careers through inclusive apprenticeship programs. We meet with them to collect their stories and share them with the public.

Supported 13 Apprenticeship Intermediary Partners Across the Country

We provide technical assistance to our partners to support their role in advancing inclusive apprenticeship programs that train apprentices to enter growing fields. We have worked with intermediary programs in industries including technology, healthcare, clean energy, and HR, providing technical assistance to help them meet their goals. Visit PIA’s Intermediaries page for a list of PIA’s current partners.

100+ Outlets Published PIA Content

We take pride in our work, which is why we are so excited when organizations and news outlets share what we do with their audiences. PIA and our resources have been mentioned in over 100 news outlets, blogs, and newsletters, including:

• WorkingNation, “Josh Christianson on inclusive apprenticeships” (video interview with over 19,000 views) and Work in Progress podcast episode, “Working toward a human-centric workplace in which DEIA is part of the universal design.”
• Solar Power World, “Diversifying the solar workforce through inclusive apprenticeships.”
• DIVERSEability Magazine, “Creating Career Pathways Through Inclusive Apprenticeship.”
• Capital One, “What Is an Apprenticeship and How Does It Work?”
• U.S. Department of Labor: Business Sense, “Small Businesses Benefit from Inclusive Apprenticeships.”
• Brookings Institute, “An apprenticeship FAQ: What employers need to know about talent development.”

17,500+ Views of PIA Resources

Our expertise in apprenticeship, inclusion, and DEIA more broadly enables us to target our efforts where they are needed most. Working alongside our partners, we use our collective expertise to build free resources that help fill the gap in understanding about the why and how of developing inclusive apprenticeships to create DEIA-driven workplaces and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Our resources have been viewed on our website over 17,500 times.

We help employers and apprenticeship leaders respond to pressing issues:

• Working alongside our partners at Apprenti, we developed “Creating Inclusive Virtual & Hybrid Apprenticeships,” a guide to help leaders of new and existing programs structure telework and hybrid learning environments that are inclusive and accessible to all.
• PIA launched its “Clean Energy Spotlight” to help employers in this HGHD sector meet their talent needs. Read, “Inclusive Apprenticeships: Increasing Access to Clean Energy Careers for People with Disabilities” (U.S. Department of Labor blog) and “Diversifying the solar workforce through inclusive apprenticeships” (Solar Power World).
• PIA launched its “Veterans Spotlight,” a hub for employers and Veterans to learn about the benefits of inclusive apprenticeships for former service members with disabilities.

More than 60,000 Views of PIA’s Award-Winning Website

PIA’s award-winning website is a place where our audience and the general public can access content about inclusive apprenticeships and related policies. From novice to expert, there is something for everyone who wants to learn more.

PIA takes pride in creating reliable, clear resources that are free to everyone. We provide expert perspectives to our site visitors, constantly releasing new resources and updating past publications. In 2022, our website was recognized with a Gold Hermes Creative Award, a Gold DotComm Award, and two Gold MUSE Creative Awards.

• In 2023, PIA won a 2023 Communicator Award for its website in the “diversity, equity, and inclusion” category. The Communicator Awards recognizes excellence, effectiveness, and innovation across all areas of communication.
• We won a 2022 Gold Hermes Creative Award for our website! This international award, which is given out by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, honors individuals and organizations that bring big ideas to life through traditional and digital platforms.
• The PIA website was honored with a 2022 Gold dotCOMM Award for excellence in web creativity and digital communication. The awards are administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals which consists of several thousand marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, media production and freelance professionals.
• Our team received two 2022 MUSE Awards for the PIA website (one in the Government category and the other in the Diversity & Inclusion category). The MUSE Creative Awards is an international competition for creative professionals who inspire others to greater heights. With their concepts, ideas or designs, these creatives light a fire in others to strive further, thus becoming a muse.
• The PIA website received an honorable mention by the judges of the 2022 MarComm Awards, which celebrates organizations for their excellence in marketing and communications.

105,000+ Social Reach

We know that many people use social media to get information. We leverage our Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, to keep our audience up to date. We activate these channels to share PIA resources, give insight into inclusion and apprenticeship-related topics, and share exciting happenings. Our social content has appeared on social feeds more than 105,000 times.

225,000+ Podcast Engagements

PIA’s Apprenticeship for All podcast episodes have had over 225,000 pageviews and downloads. In partnership with Workology.com—an HR learning platform reaching more than 100,000 HR professionals—we have produced episodes on topics ranging from the return on investment of inclusive apprenticeship to the workforce needs of the solar industry and how to create a DEIA-driven workplace.