Navigating Affirmative Action
New CSG Resource Supports Public Sector
Apprenticeship Sponsors
By Mary Wurtz
The Council of State Governments’ latest policy brief, “Affirmative Action for Government Sponsors of Registered Apprenticeship Programs,” is a newly published resource summarizing affirmative action and equal employment opportunity requirements and considerations for public sector sponsors of Registered Apprenticeship Programs. The brief summarizes requirements for employers and sponsors and dispels several myths about affirmative action in employment for states.
Registered Apprenticeship Programs, or RAPs, are high-quality career pathways that are industry-vetted and approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. They can also enable state and local governments to develop and prepare their future workforce through a combination of on-the-job training, classroom instruction and mentoring.
According to federal equal employment opportunity regulations for apprenticeship, RAP sponsors must develop and maintain an affirmative action plan to ensure all qualified applicants and apprentices have an equal opportunity to participate and succeed in the program. Apprenticeship regulations explicitly forbid the use of quotas within RAPs, but in the nine states that have banned the use of affirmative action in public education and employment, there has been confusion about how government can participate in apprenticeship while maintaining federal compliance.
“Affirmative Action for Government Sponsors of Registered Apprenticeship Programs” addresses misconceptions about affirmative action within the context of Registered Apprenticeship, explains the differences between affirmative action in employment versus education, and shares a case study from Idaho about how the state Public Sector Apprenticeship Committee addressed state agency concerns about state law compliance while pursuing apprenticeship as a new talent pipeline.
This brief was developed with funding support from Ascendium Education Group, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to helping people reach the education and career goals that matter to them. CSG staff also received support from the Urban Institute in developing the brief.
Ascendium invests in initiatives designed to increase the number of students from low-income backgrounds who complete postsecondary degrees, certificates and workforce training programs, with an emphasis on first-generation students, incarcerated adults, rural community members, students of color and veterans. Ascendium’s work identifies, validates and expands best practices to promote large-scale change at the institutional, system and state levels, with the intention of elevating opportunity for all.
For more information on how CSG is supporting state governments in launching Registered Apprenticeship Programs to address public sector workforce shortages, please contact CSG Project Manager Joe Paul via email at [email protected].
To view and/or download the brief, please visit the following link: https://www.csg.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/11/
Ascendium_Affirmative_Action_Brief_2024_11-12.pdf.
This project was supported by a Grant from Ascendium Education Group. Ascendium Education Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to helping people reach the education and career goals that matter to them. Ascendium invests in initiatives designed to increase the number of students from low-income backgrounds who complete postsecondary degrees, certificates and workforce training programs, with an emphasis on first-generation students, incarcerated adults, rural community members, students of color and veterans. Ascendium’s work identifies, validates and expands best practices to promote large-scale change at the institutional, system and state levels, with the intention of elevating opportunity for all. For more information, visit https://www. ascendiumphilanthropy.org.