NOI Sole Source-AACC.pdf

NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD SOLESOURCE

ANNOUNCEMENT IN GRANTS.GOV

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) intends to award a cooperative agreement to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to create the AACC Virtual Apprenticeship Network to provide resources to America’s community colleges and employers to create and conduct more high-quality, affordable, inclusive, flexible, and industry-relevant registered and/or industry-recognized apprenticeship programs in service to industries and companies across the nation.

The FY 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 115-141) authorized $145,000,000 “to expand opportunities relating to apprenticeship programs registered under the National Apprenticeship Act, to be available to the Secretary to carry out activities through grants, cooperative agreements, contracts and other arrangements, with states and other appropriate entities.” Of that, up to $20 million will be awarded to AACC to mobilize, manage, and provide technical support to community colleges engaged in developing and delivering apprenticeship programs through the AACC Virtual Apprenticeship Network (VAN).

In order to effectively expand apprenticeship opportunities across the country, it has become increasingly critical to catalyze a community college apprenticeship network that can provide resources to America’s community colleges and to create and conduct more high-quality, affordable, inclusive, flexible, and industry-relevant registered and industry-recognized apprenticeship programs in service to industries and companies across the nation. A community college apprenticeship network is a critical structural element necessary for more companies and community colleges to successfully participate in the apprenticeship system, and support scalable apprenticeship programming. A key goal of a community college apprenticeship network will be to create a workforce/education integration effort that will result in the expansion of highly scalable programs to help grow an American workforce that is second-to-none. Community colleges are positioned in communities throughout the country to engage with employers and partners to buoy up an apprenticeship system that is growing, but still underutilized in many pockets.

AACC, a 501(c)3 organization, has been in existence for nearly 100 years and has developed relationships with its members in communities across the country to provide highly contextualized technical assistance, swiftly align work, and elevate promising practices at a scope and level simply unavailable to other intermediaries who act as technical assistance providers. AACC represents more than 1,100 two-year, associate degree-granting institutions and more than 12 million students and is the only association that serves in this role. As a result of prior activity with the apprenticeship system and access to a community college membership that reaches nationwide, AACC is uniquely positioned and poised to make an immediate impact.

AACC is uniquely qualified to create the community college/apprenticeship synergy necessary to get to scale. AACC membership, which includes public, private, and independent colleges in all 50 states, as well as U.S. territories, have been integral partners in the expansion of apprenticeship. AACC has an extensive knowledge of the community college sector and is able to navigate with community colleges on many fronts, including individual, local, regional, statewide, nationally, and internationally. As a result of prior activity with the apprenticeship system and access to a community college membership that reaches nationwide, AACC is uniquely positioned and poised to make an immediate impact. The creation of VAN as an apprenticeship vehicle will result in the expansion of highly scalable programs, which will help grow a competitive American workforce.