Apprenticeship Innovation Funding (AIF)
The Apprenticeship Innovation Funding (AIF) is a new funding source in the state of California as of 2022 for new and innovative apprenticeship programs, defined as apprenticeships associated with the Interagency Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships (IACA). The AIF aims to support IACA apprenticeship program sponsors to sustain and scale their programs and train apprentices.
The State has allocated $135 million over 3 years to support ongoing costs of these programs and classroom training, with $55 Million specifically allocated to FY 2022-2023 and $40 Million allocated to FY 2023-2024. The intent of the funding is to support both new and existing IACA Apprenticeship programs to grow and scale to meet the needs of more employers and create more earn and learn pathways for job seekers.
View list of all awardees of the first round of AIF for FY 2022-2023 in the Awardees section below.
Timeline
Submissions for reimbursement open once per year, considering active apprentices supported and trained in previous year.
2023-2024 Application Process
- February 13, 2024 - Applications Open
- February 21, 2024 at 11am - AIF Information Session - Recording
- Mar 28, 2024 at 11am - AIF Office Hours - Register here
- April 8, 2024 at 2pm - AIF Office Hours - Register here
- May 15, 2024 at 12pm PST – Deadline for Applications - Revised Amended 4-16-2024
- March - June - Eligibility Evaluation
- May - September - Estimated Payment Window
Funding Details
Type of funding: Formula
Estimated total funding:
- $95,000,000 allocated to date
- $17,358,198 awarded
- Approx. $75,000,000 available for upcoming rounds
Award amount:
- AIF - Support
- Amount: $3500 per active apprentice per year, prorated to the month, along with $1000 per apprentice completion bonus
- Covers the cost of running an apprenticeship program, aggregating employer demands, and recruiting, supporting, and placing apprentices
- AIF - Training
- Amount: $9.98 per training hour per apprentice
- Allows for new training programs to develop in a more agile manner and will specifically be used for training costs for IACA Apprentices
Resources
2023/2024 Resources for Applying:
AIF Guidance - Revised 4-16-2024
AIF- Support Cover Sheet - PDF |Word - Revised 4-16-2024
AIF- Support Expense Report - PDF | Word
AIF- Support Expense Narrative - PDF | Word
AIF- Training Cover Sheet - PDF | Word - Revised 4-16-2024
AIF- Training Expense Report - PDF | Word
AIF- Training Expense Narrative - PDF | Word
Standard Form 204
Standard Form 205
Web Registration User Guide for Apprentice Agreements (IACA)
Web Registration User Guide for AIF CAS Report
More Information
Sector: All apprenticeship programs associated with the sectors overseen by the Interagency Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships (IACA). These sectors include healthcare, transportation, education, advanced manufacturing, information technology and every sector outside of the building and fire trades.
Target population: The intent of the funding is to support both new and existing IACA occupation associated apprenticeship programs to grow and scale to meet the needs of more employers and create more earn and learn pathways for job seekers.
Eligible Entities
AIF - Support
- Apprenticeship Intermediaries
- Labor Management Partnerships Organizations, Unions
- Public Educational Institution: Community College, K12, Adult Education, County Office of Education, California State Universities, Universities of California, Regional Occupational Program
- Workforce Development Board
- Non-Profit
- Private for-profit
- Public Sector Entities
- Industry Associations
AIF - Training
- K-12 School
- County Office of Education
- Regional Occupational Program
- Community College
- California State University
- University of California
- Adult Education
Required partners: N/A
Contact: AIF@dir.ca.gov
Awardees
The announcement of the FY 2022-2023 awardees represents a significant milestone in the first round of AIF funding. This pivotal moment marks the culmination of efforts by DAS to launch an impactful funding source for IACA apprenticeship programs. The successful implementation of AIF demonstrates how supportive funding can have a profound effect on sustaining and scaling new and innovative apprenticeship programs. AIF is an innovative funding source accessible to all IACA apprenticeship programs if they meet the eligibility criteria. The funding model is not a competitive grant, as the mechanism ensures that funds awarded are distributed in a transparent and equitable manner, with the goal of expanding apprenticeship opportunities across many sectors.
The initial round of AIF investment resulted in positive outcomes toward advancing registered apprenticeships in key sectors such as advanced manufacturing, civil service, education, healthcare, information technology and business services. AIF recipients have demonstrated a commitment to high road principles by offering quality jobs, strong wage growth, and empowerment of a diverse workforce. AIF serves as a dynamic model to support program sponsors and facilitate career pathways for upward mobility.
Highlights- Total Funding Awarded: $17,358,198
- AIF-Support Funding: $15,476,407
- Number of Apprentices Served: 6,012
- Number of Apprentices Completed: 1,549
- AIF-Training Funding: $1,881,791
- Number of Apprentices Served: 1,285
- Number of RSI Hours: 213,255
Participant Data
- Average Hourly Wage: $33.13
- Average Total Compensation (Hourly): $53.30
February 2024