AIM Policy and Practice Resources About AIM The Apprenticeship Inclusion Models (AIM) initiative was a two-year project funded by the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). The goal of the initiative, which was led by Social Policy Research Associates (SPR), Wheelhouse Group, and Jobs for the Future (JFF), was to inform, shape, and strengthen national policy around apprenticeship, workforce development, and employment. As a result, the initiative would help to expand access to inclusive apprenticeships for people with disabilities. AIM’s work centered on researching, developing, testing, and evaluating innovative strategies in existing apprenticeship programs that provided skills training to people with disabilities. AIM worked with four apprenticeship programs to pilot new, innovative approaches to creating inclusive apprenticeship programs. These pilot programs received training and technical assistance from the AIM operating team. The AIM team provided training and technical assistance on topics such as procurement language, disability self-disclosure, accessible eRecruiting, the business case for inclusion, managing and mentoring apprentices with disabilities, and more. AIM also created a broader Community of Practice (CoP) to help inform its work. At the end of the two-year project, AIM yielded key insights for employers and other organizations about how to implement and...
Read MoreResearch from Accenture shows how hidden workers, including workers with disabilities, can face enormous challenges finding work or increasing their hours. The reason? They’re often screened out early on by hiring processes that rely on recruitment management systems to automatically filter and rank candidates. Hiring hidden workers is not just good for the individuals concerned, it also offers real benefits to the organizations they join. Nearly two-thirds of executives hiring hidden workers report that their new recruits perform “significantly better” than average across a range of key indicators including work ethic, productivity, work quality, attendance and innovation.
As Governors continue to navigate an evolving labor market and economic climate, registered apprenticeship can be leveraged as a proven strategy for bolstering both businesses and workers. Scaling and sustaining robust, equitable registered apprenticeship and youth apprenticeship ecosystems is a reliable and proven approach Governors can take to ensure their state is economically competitive and that every youth and adult – regardless of race, gender, ability, prior educational background or socio-economic status – can access quality training pathways that lead to family-sustaining careers.
Learn promising practices in building and growing successful apprenticeship programs for opportunity youth. This online resource explores promising approaches and highlights examples of activities and strategies in the following five categories: Employer Engagement; Recruiting and Engaging Youth; Braided and Adaptive Funding; Building Partnerships, Ecosystems, and Intermediaries; and Inclusive Program Design.
Apprenticeship programs that are designed to be inclusive of people with disabilities — and underrepresented groups more broadly — can play a vital role in building out the solar industry’s future workforce. This talent pipeline offers a cadre of trained and experienced job candidates with diverse skill sets, knowledge and abilities. Learn the steps to create an inclusive apprenticeship program for the solar sector in this article written by Josh Christianson, PIA Project Director, and published in Solar Power World.
According to the 2021 U.S. Energy and Employment Report, a growing number of job opportunities abound in the clean energy sector. This sector includes jobs in industries ranging from electric vehicles to solar power installation. Although there were more than 3 million clean energy-related jobs in 2020, many employers in the clean energy sector reported major challenges in finding skilled candidates to fill positions. Registered Apprenticeship Programs can play a vital role in building talent pipelines to fill the anticipated increase in skilled clean energy positions.
The Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology posted a blog on “Inclusive Apprenticeships: The Importance of Accessibility.” The blog by Josh Christianson, director of the Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship, examines the importance of creating apprenticeship programs that are inclusive and accessible to ensure everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully participate in opportunities that can add lifetime benefits to their careers.
More than 20 leading employers and industry associations offer their strategies to improve apprenticeship access and success for underrepresented groups in this report from Jobs for the Future.
As the economy recovers from the pandemic, states are exploring a variety of strategies to strengthen an important career pathway for all, including individuals with disabilities, through apprenticeship programs in fields like state government, health care, information technology, and cybersecurity. The report incorporates input from dozens of apprenticeship program officials and experts around the country, examples from 30 states, and a comprehensive list of suggested strategies across four categories for states to consider based on programs that already have seen success around the country.
A recent report from The Urban Institute provides a summary of current information on experiences of people with disabilities in apprenticeship, drawing on the research literature, interviews with experts on inclusive apprenticeship, and administrative and survey data. It also shares key findings of inclusive apprenticeships.