Resources Page
State Apprenticeship Equity, Expansion and Innovation Grant
Objective: The State Apprenticeship Equity, Expansion, and Innovation Grant (SAEEI) funded through the U.S. Department of Labor has the goal to grow and expand Registered Apprenticeship in new occupations as well as create deeper connections with Kansas Local Workforce Boards. Period of Performance: July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2025
State Apprenticeship Equity Expansion and Innovation Grant: A Kansas Apprenticeship Success Story
Awarded in 2021, the State Apprenticeship Equity Expansion and Innovation (SAEEI) Grant expanded Registered Apprenticeship opportunities and invested $5.6 million to help Kansans gain in-demand skills and access quality career pathways. The grant supported strong partnerships between multi-employer intermediaries and Local Workforce Development Boards, increasing coordination and reach across the state. It also expanded dual enrollment in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I services and Registered Apprenticeship programs, opening the door for more individuals to earn while they learn and setting the stage for continued growth statewide.
By the grant’s close on June 30, 2025, results far exceeded expectations:
Occupations Supported by the State Apprenticeship Equity, Expansion and Innovation Grant
The seven intermediaries partnered with employers to expand Registered Apprenticeship opportunities across both traditional and non-traditional occupations. This work supported growth in more than twenty healthcare pathways, including pre-licensure Registered Nurse, Phlebotomist, and Medical Assistant. The Skilled Trades also saw significant expansion, including occupations such as Line Arborist and Concrete Laborer. In Advanced Manufacturing, new occupations such as Industrial Manufacturing Technician and Electronics Technician were established, while the Information Technology sector saw the creation of roles including Software Developer and IT Project Manager. Corporate and Professional Services also expanded with occupations such as Fire Officer Leader and Apprenticeship Coordinator.
Through the SAEEI Grant, nearly 100 registered apprenticeship occupations were developed or expanded across multiple industry sectors, which are outlined below.
Success Stories and Lessons Learned
Beyond the numbers, the SAEEI Grant produced countless success stories that showcase the transformative power of Registered Apprenticeship. Here are just a few:
IBEW 304 also had their first female line clearance apprentice complete their program. She had this to say about her completion, “Being the first woman to graduate the Line Clearance Arborist apprenticeship is such an honor. Going through this apprenticeship has given me the tools and knowledge to further myself in a career that I love. I hope to show other women that they too can accomplish things that others say are better left to the men. No matter what the task is at hand, with hard work and discipline, you can accomplish anything. IBEW proud and strong.”
At KMW Loaders, justice-involved apprentices completed training on prison-issued tablets, with several graduates continuing their careers and even pursuing management-level apprenticeships upon release. This model offers a promising blueprint for correctional institutions.
Hamilton Ryker TalentGro created the first Registered Nurse Registered Apprenticeship in Kansas with the help of the SAEEI Grant. They have successfully registered nearly 100 apprentices.
Promising practices also emerged, such as the monthly Office of Apprenticeship Dinner Bell Calls to exchange best practices, collaborative partnerships with external partners to reduce training barriers, and employer strategies to help expand registered apprenticeship.
From rural manufacturers like Bradbury Company to growing healthcare systems like HCA Midwest Health, registered apprenticeships are reshaping how Kansas employers build and retain talent. These efforts not only met but far exceeded the grant’s original expectations, leaving behind a strong foundation for the continued expansion of registered apprenticeship across the state.
Grant Details 2022 - 2025
Partner Resources
Quarterly narratives are due approximately 3 weeks after the quarter end!
- Q1 (July 1 – Sept 30) report due Oct 20, 2023
- Q2 (Oct 1 – Dec 31) report due January 19, 2024
- Q3 (January 1 – March 31) report due April 19, 2024
- Q4 (April 1 – June 30) report due July 19, 2024
- Q1 (July 1 – Sept 30) report due Oct 18, 2024
- Q2 (Oct 1 – Dec 31) report due January 17, 2025
- Q3 (January 1 – March 31) report due April 18, 2025
- Q4 (April 1 – June 30) report due July 18, 2025
Partner Narrative Reporting Link
Local Workforce Board Reporting Link
Reporting Resources
- SAEEI Project System Resources Guide
- WIOA_SAEEI Referral Flow
- Expenditure Reporting guide
- Expenditure Excel Form
- Fiscal Training video
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Measurable Skills Gains Supporting Guide
- For processing, all completed expenditure forms must be emailed by the 20th of every month: apprenticeship@ks.gov
Friendly Reminders
- Enter data into RAPIDS AND KANSASWORKS.com
- This is imperative – non entry or entry only in one system or the other (for Registered Apprenticeship) will be considered non-compliance and will hold back reimbursement.
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The USDOL is now requiring that Measurable Skills Gains (MSG) are set in KANSASworks.com. You will get credit for the MSG when it is set (to coincide with the Apprenticeship Training service – denominator) and when it is attained (defined as 12 months and/or attained within the 12 months from the set date – numerator). Based on the apprenticeship program design, three of the five MSG types are most appropriate when documenting gains: Education Functioning Level (EFL), Training Milestone (Training Plan/Apprenticeship Training related), and skill progression.
- Employer threshold update <$5,350 per employer!
- Each intermediary must still have at a minimum 20 new employers by the end of the grant period.
- Total amount expended for the purpose of employer incentives does not exceed $107,000 per intermediary by the end of the grant period.
- LWDB threshold update is no limit per participant!
- Participant threshold is based on LWDB’s policies for their participant services.
- SAEEI funds can only be used for SAEEI partners.
- Pre-Apprenticeship programs are a YES! It’s a WIN-WIN for the grant!
- Quality pre-apprenticeship programs can be entered and tracked in KANSASWORKS.com. Pre-apprentices can only be registered in KANSASWORKS.com and SAEEI funds can be used on this. Pre-apprentices cannot be entered into RAPIDS until they enter into a registered program and sign the required 671 form. Pre-apprentices will be counted as “participants served” but not toward “registered apprenticeship” numbers until they get registered in RAPIDS (which hopefully all do!).
- Quality pre-apprenticeship programs have a federal definition – and must lead to an established Registered Apprenticeship. For more information and allowable expenditures, please refer to TEN No. 23-23
- Outreach and social media shares!
- Our social media team is working to be more aggressive with partner programming! Please ensure any outreach you develop meets the requirements of the grant, and be sure to tag @KANSASWORKS. The social media team will try and share whenever possible! It’s even better if you can email your outreach calendar so the team can coordinate the calendar with ours.
- The intent of this grant is start up funds for your program; however, its up to you to develop sustainability. Your ATR’s will start asking you to develop a sustainability plan after the grant ends.
- All marketing material developed with the use of these funds must include the following disclaimer. The disclaimer must be in readable font, but can be placed at the bottom or end of the page. For social media posts or smaller outreach applications, we suggest linking it to a website that includes the disclaimer:
“This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of DOL. DOL makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it.”
Resources for Partners
- Jobs For the Future (jff.org) free intermediary mentoring easy fill form: Apprenticeship Support | Contact Us (jff.org)
- USDOL RAP Academy