Keystone Development Partnership

Pa l&i apprenticeship & training office strategies for apprenticeship programskdp has partnered with the pa apprenticeship and training office (ato) since its inception in 2016. As a state apprenticeship agency, the ato is responsible for guiding and promoting the expansion of apprenticeship programs across the state. In recent years, this has included finalizing the distribution of $1.2 million in apprenticeship state expansion (ase) grant funding awarded to the ato to support diverse apprentices. Kdp has also assisted the ato in its knowledge management activities through its state apprenticeship expansion (sae) 2020 grant, including the updating of apprenticeship registration standards, an overhaul of the ato's apprenticeship websites, and the development of 22 new resources that help potential sponsors develop, register and manage their ra & pre-ra programs, and that help individuals participate in the programs.most recently, kdp is managing the ato's $4 million apprenticeship building america (aba) grant proposal. A second contract for kdp to provide support to participants with aba funds was finalized in 2024. The overall goal of the proposal is to help embed a focus on apprenticeship within the pa's workforce system. At least 10 new apprenticeship programs and 15 new pre-apprenticeship programs will be developed through the initiative. Funding will also be distributed to support 400 new apprentice enrollments and 400 new pre-apprentice enrollments.

Registered apprenticeship (ra) navigator program & keystone apprenticeship alliancekdp continues to implement its registered apprenticeship navigator, an apprenticeship program that trains people to develop and manage apprenticeship programs. Registered in the state of pennsylvania in 2020, the one-year apprenticeship program includes 2,000 hours of on-the-job training (ojt) plus 144 hours of related technical instruction (rti). More than 120 navigator apprentices have been enrolled in the first six cohorts (2018-2025). To date, 79 navigators have completed the program and another 25 remain active in pursuing their journeyworker certification. Nearly half (47) of all current and future navigator journeyworkers are affiliated with the commonwealth's workforce development system, including from pa careerlinks and workforce development boards (30), pa apprenticeship and training office (8), pa office of vocational rehabilitation (ovr) (4), pa office of administration (4), and pa department of agriculture (1). Other navigators are affiliated with employers (8), unions (10), training providers (28), economic development organizations (8), and agricultural development organizations (3). Kdp is receiving strong interest for its seventh cohort of navigators, scheduled to begin in late 2025. Successful navigators become members of the keystone apprenticeship alliance (kaa), kdp's growingstatewide network of apprenticeship intermediaries able to assist unions and employers toexpand apprenticeship programs into new occupations and industries. Through the communityof practice model, the kaa provides its 350+ members with a platform to collaborate,share best practices, and advocate for apprenticeship programs to policy makers, employers,and community leaders

Industry partnerships and local workforce development boards (lwdbs)kdp continues to lead industry partnerships across the state, a role it has played since its inception. Industry partnerships bring together business, education, workforce development, economic development and community organizations to address the workforce and other competitiveness needs of the targeted industry. Over the past five years, kdp has helped manage four industry partnerships, including two focused on advanced manufacturing, one on healthcare, and one on building and construction trades. It has also helped manage the healthcare employment ecosystem project lead by westmoreland-fayette workforce development board, in partnership with the southwest corner and tri-county workforce development boards.