PLEASE BE AWARE. On Sept. 23, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a final rule to rescind the Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program (IRAP). The Final Rule published in the Federal Register on Sept. 26, 2022 and will go into effect on Nov. 25, 2022. Beginning on the effective date, DOL will no longer recognize Standards Recognized Entities (SREs) or IRAPs. More details.
August 10, 2020 - The CWDC worked with state agency partners from CDLE, CDHE, and CCCS to publish Colorado’s High Quality IRAP Framework. Industry Recognized Apprenticeships Programs (IRAPs) are competency-based apprenticeship programs that provide individuals with opportunities to obtain workplace-relevant knowledge and progressively advancing skills. The framework details quality standards for IRAPs in Colorado in order to meet the needs of individuals and help businesses fill critical occupations and skill gaps.
Colorado has been invested in scaling three types of apprenticeships: Registered apprenticeships (RAPs), collegiate apprenticeships, and the modern youth apprenticeship. In 2017 the United States Department of Labor announced IRAPs as a new type of apprenticeship to rapidly increase the availability of high quality programs in sectors where apprenticeship opportunities are limited.
As Colorado integrates IRAPs, and the number of apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning grow, this framework outlines quality standards for industry and Standards Recognition Entities (SREs) to consider in the design of new IRAPs in Colorado.
The framework includes:
- Overview of IRAPs and Standards Recognition Entities (SREs)
- Table outlining components of IRAPs compared to Registered Apprenticeships (RAPs)
- Quality standards for IRAPs in Colorado
- Quality standards for SREs in Colorado
- Resources
For questions about Colorado’s High Quality IRAP Framework please contact us at cwdc@state.co.us.