1. Apprenticeship Standards

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 successful implementation of AIF FY 2022–2023 and FY 2023-2024 rounds 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

Explore the AIF awardee highlights and participant data below to gain a comprehensive view of the profound impact AIF has had in fostering growth within the IACA apprenticeship landscape, reflecting our commitment to empowering IACA workforce development and in turn ensuring the expansion of earn and learn career opportunities for Californians. 

November 2024