FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS TO RFA CALIFORNIA APPRENTICESHIP INITIATIVE NEW AND INNOVATIVE GRANT PROGRAM

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1 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS TO RFA CALIFORNIA APPRENTICESHIP INITIATIVE NEW AND INNOVATIVE GRANT PROGRAM 1) Question: Can we submit a CAI application for a Landscape Apprenticeship Program using the Northern California Laborers standards (with some revisions)? The Laborers received DAS approval of the program I believe in the last two years. We have not used the program or its standards in the entire Fresno Region. I understand the 2018 CAI RFA states it must be new DAS approved programs but this is such a new program and never utilized in the Fresno Region I thought maybe it would qualify. Answer: Without reviewing the specifics of the application, and because this is a competitive process, we cannot provide a determination. However, the fact that there exist well-established apprenticeship training programs that meets the industry of focus needs, this can be deemed as not meeting the intent of new and innovative apprenticeship training program. The second part of our analysis would be has landscaping employers use apprenticeship training programs in our state, and to what extent. 2) Question: Can you please confirm what evidence you require on behalf of employers commitment to support an apprenticeship program? The RFA has two references one of which is for an MOU. This seems to be a new requirement for these funds from years past and a heavy lift before the grant is awarded. Will an award not be considered unless there is an MOU in place at the time we apply? On Page 9 in the RFA Applicants without a firm commitment from employers to pay apprentices salaries and wages and register at a minimum one (1) apprentice with DAS, per $20,000 of the total grant amount will not be considered for funding. On Page 22 in the RFA Provide a signed MOU from all employers who have agreed to provide OJT and are or will be paying the apprentices wages for your respective apprenticeship program. Answer: We will not disqualify an application for not having a signed MOU, however, this is a competitive process and should an application lack evidence that would lead a reader reasonably conclude that OJT is the central component to the proposed apprenticeship training program, it will be detrimental. That said, we do require, see RFA, at minimum an intent to participate letter from employers ensuring their commitment to paying the apprentices salaries and wages. This falls short of a signed

2 MOU, moreover, such a letter can provide a timeline when employers will begin paying salaries, should that employer and employee relationship not exist at the commencement of the grant. We recognize this is a heavy lift, however, to meet the standard of a viable apprenticeship-training program, an employer must be committed to maintaining an apprenticeship beyond the term of the grant and OJT is required. 3) Question: I am inquiring as to whether Inyo County Office of Education/YouthBuild Charter School of California is eligible to apply for the following grant. Answer: Eligible Applicants Include: California Community College Districts (CCDs), California Department of Education Unified School Districts/Local Education Agencies (LEAs), including Regional Occupational Centers & Programs (ROCPs), Adult Schools, and County Offices of Education (COEs) per Proposition 98 guidelines. 4) Question: Please clarify what is meant by employer match? Answer: The term matching contribution refers to a matching dollar amount contributed by an employer to the cost of the apprenticeship-training program. The principle manner this has been accomplished is through salaries for apprentices and staff participation in instruction. This could be viewed as in-kind as well. 5) Question: Can a district apply for multiple grants? Answer: Yes, a California Department of Education Local Educational Agency or California Community College District may submit applications for more than one CAI grant so far as these are new occupations. In short, a California Department of Education Local Educational Agency or California Community College District cannot get another CAI grant for the same program. 6) Question: The Response to Need, item 10 calls for a letter of solvency from each employer; however, in the sample letter #5, it asks that the employers be identified as part of a letter that goes to the DAS representative. Is it therefore acceptable to address a letter to the DAS Rep that list the employers who agree to continue to invest in the apprenticeship in lieu of a letter from each employer? Answer: For the purposes of this grant, this would suffice. However, during your DAS approval process please work directly with your DAS representatives to meet their requirements. The purpose of this item is to ensure the employer(s) and CAI applicants have a financial plan to maintain their apprenticeship-training program beyond the life of the grant. Applicants will not be penalized for not providing solvency letters.

3 7) Question: If we have a program beginning with 6 apprentices, would our entire allocation and three year budget be $120,000? Answer: The proposed grant budget shall align with the number of registered apprentice your program can and will register with the Division of Apprenticeship Standards during the performance period of the grant. 8) Question: How do we document employer match? Answer: Employer match shall be completed in Appendix B, Application Budget Detail Sheet Match document. 9) Question: In the RFA language above, does apprenticeship program refer to a program as identified by the standards or by the LEA? Answer: As defined by the apprenticeable standards developed and approved by the Division of Apprenticeship Standards. 10) Question: Would Sacramento City College be eligible to apply for the RFA if San Joaquin Delta College Standards are used? Answer: This would not be disqualifying. The San Joaquin Delta College program is for an apprenticeship-training program for nursing. We would still consider nursing apprenticeship training program new and innovative, because it has yet to achieve the status of a standard practice for that occupation or industry. 11) Question: With regard to matching funds, what will this funding go towards? Are they designed to match the budget on a proportional basis? Answer: We are requiring the employer contribution to equate 20% of the grant award. Please see answer above regarding the types of match that has been commonly used. 12) Question: Can match be added to the $700,000 award to provide for additional apprentice registrations? Answer: Employer match cannot be added to the total grant amount of $700,000 - though applicants are encouraged to register more than the minimum number of apprentices. For a $700,000 grant budget this would be a minimum of 35 apprentices. (1 apprentice per $20,000 of total grant amount). The intent of employer match is to ensure there exist a commitment from your employers. Should the applicant and employer collaborative planning conclude that it will utilize match funding (20% minimum) from the employer to pay for cost that will

4 result in more apprentices, it would demonstrate employer buy-in. However, please keep in mind; applicants are encouraged to register more than the minimum number of apprentices. Applications that exceed the minimum will be more competitive in the grant scoring process. 13) Question: Does the District apply even if the grant is for only one of its campuses? Answer: Yes, in a single or multiple campus district applications shall be submitted by the respective community college district. 14) Question: Referencing a discrepancy between the webinar powerpoint and RFA regarding 10. Project Management. Does the applicant need to submit a signed MOU (per Webinar) or an Intent-to-Participate form letter (RFA page 18)? Answer: Please see question and answer to number 2. 15) Question: The RFA (page 18) requires letters of support or intent-to-participate from employers paying wages and salaries to apprentices - are these in addition to letters from employers providing support for long term solvency (page 13) or can both support items be included in one letter from an employer (as applicable)? Answer: Should you provide one letter addressing intent-to-participate and long-term solvency, please describe in narrative form in response to item 10 for response to need in narrative form how the letter speaks to the financial plan to maintain the apprenticeship training program beyond the life of the grant. Please see above, applicants will not be penalized for not providing solvency letters, but it would be in the applicants best interest to demonstrate solvency beyond the term of the grant. 16) Question: The RFA (page 22) references the need to provide an MOU from all employers who have agreed to provide OJT and are or will be paying the apprentices wages. This is the first time in the RFA that MOUs are mentioned. Are MOUs required in addition to a letter from each employer? Answer: Please see the responses above. As for first time the CAI RFA referencing the MOU, as our third round of CAI grants, we are applying lessons learned from the previous rounds of funding. The object lesson here, we need greater assurance of employer commitment to an apprenticeship training program to ensure we are seeding new and innovative grants that will be sustained beyond the term of the grant. What makes apprenticeship-training programs unique from other workforce development strategies is that an employer(s) are central to the program from the beginning to the end and that apprentices are employed. Without these elements being achieved during the term of the grant, we cannot consider it an apprenticeship-training program.

5 17) Question: Regarding required meetings, on page 17 of the RFA it discusses the annual meetings. The last paragraph includes the requirement to attend meetings coordinated by the Foundation for California Community Colleges. On page 19, H. Rejection of Application, item 4 - it references required attendance at "Apprenticeship Labs" hosted by the Foundation for California Community Colleges. Are the "Apprenticeship Labs" the same as the meetings coordinated by the Foundation as discussed on page 17? Alternatively, are "Apprenticeship Labs" in addition to the other meetings? Answer: Apprenticeship Labs are the same as the meetings coordinated by the Foundation for California Community Colleges as discussed on page 17 of the RFA. 18) Question: On page 6 as part of the required outcomes section, there is the expectation of creating partnerships with other local support agencies. Is there any documentation that is required for these partnerships to be included as part of the attachments? Alternatively, is it sufficient to list the local support agency partners as part of the discussion in the narrative? Answer: No additional documents are required, other than specified by the RFA. It would be sufficient to address this outcome in narrative form. The purpose of this outcome is to encourage additional support from partners that could assist with sustainability of a program, outreach, and other supportive services that could assist our students be successful. 19) Question: Could you explain what you are looking for in a governance chart that is different from an organizational chart? Answer: Governance chart would speak to how a program has organized itself that would include Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee or Unilateral Training Committee, employers, partners, and the applicant s agency. The organizational chart would show how the applicant s administrative agency is organized. 20) Question: Can the match draw from any aspect of the project (i.e. leverage of staffing positon, instruction costs, etc.) or are there limitations? Answer: Examples of employer match are wages for apprentices, staff participation in instruction, equipment, and etc. As for limitations, we are unable to anticipate all possible scenarios, therefore, would need to assess potential aspects of the project that are being considered as adding value to the proposed program. 21) Question: Can the apprenticeship program participants be a current employee of the identified/participating employers? The employers would identify current employees who need the training - as a grant program participant they would continue to be paid as an employee throughout participation in the apprenticeship program.

6 Answer: Yes, current employees could be part of the new apprenticeship program that are being approved by the DAS by July 1, The application should clearly demonstrate how the program will be maintained after the grant and continue to accept apprentices beyond the life of the grant. 22) Question: Please confirm that the 20 percent employer match is in addition to the up to $700,000 grant funding, thereby making the overall budget $840,000 ($700,000 grant plus $140,000 employer match). Answer: See response to question #12. 23) Question: Please confirm that in-kind services, equipment, and facilities can be used to meet the required employer percentage match. Answer: In-kind services, equipment and facilities are examples of acceptable employer match under this RFA. 24) Question: Please describe what form an employer match can take. Specifically: Do wages paid to apprentices count towards the percentage? Do wages paid to employer-based mentors to provide mentorship count towards the percentage? Answer: See response to question #4. 25) Question: Please confirm the minimum of one apprentice per $20,000 of grant award amount does not include the employer match. Answer: Please see the question and response to number ) Question: Please confirm that at least 20% of total grant funding shall be allocated to offset in-class instructional training known as Related and Supplemental Instruction (RSI). I.e., that more than 20% of funding for RSI is acceptable. Answer: Yes, 20% of total grant funding shall be allocated to offset in-class instructional training known as Related and Supplemental Instruction (RSI). 27) Question: Under what category should costs for apprentice support, and case management be listed? Answer: Other operating expenses and services. 28) Question: Is out-of-state travel permitted if necessary to comply with the two mandated CAC meetings (RFP Requirement G.9.e)?

7 Answer: Out of state travel is not permitted for this grant. California Apprenticeship Council meetings all take place within California; a mandatory meeting under this RFA will never take place out of state. 29) Question: Are all Community Colleges potential LEA s or only those colleges who have been approved by DAS/CCCCO? Can a non-community college entity, e.g. a bootcamp, be an LEA? Answer: All California Community College districts and LEAs are eligible applicants. There are no requirements of an existing DAS approved program. 30) Question: RSI allocation- is 20% a Minimum of the total grant funding, or a Maximum amount to be used on RSI? Answer: See answer to question #26. 31) Question: Performance Period - What happens if we execute all grant deliverables in less than 3.5 years? Do we wait for reimbursement per entire performance period, or can funding be allocated based on performance? Answer: The grant end date is the maximum time allowed. A grant performance period can end sooner. 32) Question: $20K per apprentice - Is that a minimum or maximum number? Answer: Register a minimum of one (1) apprentice per $20,000 of grant award amount 33) Question: How specific do Intent to Participate letters from employers need to be? E.G. Is it a requirement to state the number of apprentices employers will hire in Intent to Participate letters? Answer: Employer partners are encouraged to list the number of registered apprentices they will be paying the salary and wages. Should the letter not clearly demonstrate the level of commitment, or be ambiguous, it may effective its scoring. 34) Question: Will it be a choice for colleges to use FTES enrollment instead of RSI, can they access both funding sources, or only RSI? Answer: For purposes of this RFA, 20% of total grant funding shall be allocated to offset in-class instructional training, if needed, Related and Supplemental Instruction (RSI) cannot be accessed until after the grant period ends. Should 20% funding be exhausted, access to RSI must be approved by the grant monitor.

8 35) Question: What are the required activities of a fiscal agent? Can a fiscal agent also be an LEA on a different CAI grant if they are serving different occupations? Answer: Yes, if it is a different program, a LEA can have more than one CAI grant. Regarding required activities of a fiscal agent, please see RFA requirements. 36) Question: Under the Project Management section on page 18 of the RFA, it states that we must include a letter of intent to participate from each employer partner. However, the Project Management section on page 22 states that we must include a signed MOU with each employer partner. Answer: Please see response to question #2. 37) Question: Will a signed MOU with an employer partner stating an intent to participate and support long-term solvency meet the requirements for a letter of support, as required in Project Management on page 18 and Response to Need on page 13? Alternatively, do we need both a signed MOU and a signed Intent-to-Participate letter from each employer partner? Answer: Please see response to questions #2 and #16. 38) Question: There is a discrepancy in the page limit listed below. Can you confirm which page limit is correct? Under #10. Project Management Maximum Points 20, states: Narrative Limited to three pages, 1 margins, single or double-spaced, 12 pt. Arial font. However, it goes on to state: The organizational/governance charts and letters do not count against the five page narrative limit. Answer: Our intent is to have a 3-page limit to this section. Due to this discrepancy, we will not disqualify or penalize any grants that exceed 5-pages.