Youth Apprenticeship (YA) Consortium Bridging Outcomes

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) is procuring a Youth Apprenticeship (YA) Consortium Bridging Outcomes initiative through a U.S. Department of Labor SAE 2020 Grant. This competitive grant opportunity seeks to reimburse Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship consortia that successfully transition their program completers into Registered Apprenticeship (RA) contracts. Eligible participants must be active and in good standing YA consortia, with a specific focus on bridging apprentices from the high school classes of 2020-2023 into their first RA contract within 12 months of graduation. The primary deliverable is documentation demonstrating successful apprentice transitions, which must include proof of RA contract activation and completed bridging work. Evaluation criteria include timely submission of a two-step application process: first, a Blanket Agreement Application (Attachment A) to establish consortium eligibility, and second, submission of Requests for Payment (Attachment B) and Attestations (Attachment C) for bridged apprentices. The application window closed on June 1, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. CDT, with applications processed on a first-come, first-served basis through the grant's performance period ending June 30, 2023.

The procurement is exclusively available to Wisconsin YA consortia, with no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises. Consortia must maintain an active and exclusion-free Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) registration on www.sam.gov to be eligible. The initiative offers a fixed reimbursement of $1,000 per successfully bridged apprentice, with a total funding pool of $200,000 available. Funding is 100% federally provided through the Department of Labor SAE 2020 Grant (AP-35130-20-60-A-55), which has a total grant budget of $9 million for the three-year period. Payments will be processed within 30 days of approval, subject to fund availability. The DWD reserves the right to modify allocation amounts, payment terms, or timeline dates based on grant requirements or guidance from the grantor. Consortia must provide comprehensive documentation of their bridging work, including details about employer interactions, advanced standing negotiations, and connections with the Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards.