Title 29
SECTION 29.22
29.22 Responsibilities and requirements of Standards Recognition Entities.
§ 29.22 Responsibilities and requirements of Standards Recognition Entities.(a) An SRE must:
(1) Recognize or reject an apprenticeship program seeking recognition as an IRAP in a timely manner;
(2) Inform the Administrator within 30 calendar days when it has recognized, suspended, or derecognized an IRAP, and include the name and contact information of the program;
(3) Provide the Administrator any data or information the Administrator is expressly authorized to collect under this subpart; and
(4) Only recognize as IRAPs and maintain such recognition of apprenticeship programs that meet the following requirements:
(i) The program must train apprentices for employment in jobs that require specialized knowledge and experience and involve the performance of complex tasks.
(ii) The program has a written training plan, consistent with its SRE's requirements and standards as developed pursuant to the process set forth in § 29.21(b)(1). The written training plan, which must be provided to an apprentice prior to beginning an IRAP, must detail the program's structured work experiences and appropriate related instruction, be designed so that apprentices demonstrate competency and earn credential(s), and provide apprentices progressively advancing industry-essential skills.
(iii) The program ensures that, where appropriate, apprentices receive credit for prior knowledge and experience relevant to the instruction of the program.
(iv) The program provides apprentices industry-recognized credential(s) during participation in or upon completion of the program.
(v) The program provides a working environment for apprentices that adheres to all applicable Federal, State, and local safety laws and regulations and complies with any additional safety requirements of its SRE.
(vi) The program provides apprentices structured mentorship opportunities throughout the duration of the apprenticeship that involve ongoing, focused supervision and training by experienced instructors and employees, to ensure apprentices have additional guidance on the progress of their training and their employability.
(vii) The program ensures apprentices are paid at least the applicable Federal, State, or local minimum wage. The program must provide a written notice to apprentices of what wages apprentices will receive and under what circumstances apprentices' wages will increase. The program's charging of costs or expenses to apprentices must comply with all applicable Federal, State, or local wage laws and regulations, including but not limited to the Fair Labor Standards Act and its regulations. This rule does not purport to alter or supersede an employer's obligations under any such laws and regulations.
(viii) The program affirms its adherence to all applicable Federal, State, and local laws pertaining to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO).
(ix) The program discloses to apprentices, before they agree to participate in the program, any costs or expenses that will be charged to them (such as costs related to tools or educational materials).
(x) The program maintains a written apprenticeship agreement for each apprentice that outlines the terms and conditions of the apprentice's employment and training. The apprenticeship agreement must be consistent with its SRE's requirements.
(b) An SRE must validate its IRAPs' compliance with paragraph (a)(4) of this section when it provides the Administrator with notice of recognition under paragraph (a)(2) of this section, and on an annual basis thereafter, and must at that time provide the Administrator a written attestation that its IRAPs meet the requirements of paragraph (a)(4) of this section and any other requirements of the SRE.
(c) An SRE must publicly disclose the credential(s) that apprentices will earn during their participation in or upon completion of an IRAP.
(d) An SRE must establish policies and procedures for recognizing, and validating compliance of, programs that ensure that SRE decisions are impartial, consistent, and based on objective and merit-based criteria; ensure that SRE decisions are confidential except as required or permitted by this subpart, or otherwise required by law; and are written in sufficient detail to reasonably achieve the foregoing criteria. An SRE must submit these policies and procedures to the Administrator with its application.
(e) An SRE's recognition of an IRAP may last no longer than 5 years. An SRE may not re-recognize an IRAP without the IRAP seeking re-recognition.
(f) An SRE must remain in an ongoing quality-control relationship with the IRAPs it has recognized. The specific means and nature of the relationship between the IRAP and SRE will be defined by the SRE, provided the relationship:
(1) Does in fact result in reasonable and effective quality control that includes, as appropriate, consideration of apprentices' credential attainment, program completion, retention rates, and earnings;
(2) Does not prevent the IRAP from receiving recognition from another SRE;
(3) Does not conflict with this subpart or violate any applicable Federal, State, or local law;
(4) Involves periodic compliance reviews by the SRE of its IRAP to ensure compliance with the requirements of paragraph (a)(4) of this section and the SRE's requirements; and
(5) Includes policies and procedures for the suspension or derecognition of an IRAP that fails to comply with the requirements of paragraph (a)(4) of this section and its SRE's requirements.
(g) Participating as an SRE under this subpart does not make the SRE a joint employer with entities that develop or deliver IRAPs.
(h) Each year, an SRE must report to the Administrator, in a format prescribed by the Administrator, and make publicly available the following information on each IRAP it recognizes:
(1) Up-to-date contact information for each IRAP;
(2) The total number of new and continuing apprentices annually training in each IRAP under an apprenticeship agreement;
(3) The total number of apprentices who successfully completed the IRAP annually;
(4) The annual completion rate for apprentices. Annual completion rate must be calculated by comparing the number of apprentices in a designated apprenticeship cohort who successfully completed the IRAP requirements and attained an industry-recognized credential with the number of apprentices in that cohort who initially began training in the IRAP;
(5) The median length of time for IRAP completion;
(6) The post-apprenticeship employment retention rate, calculated 6 and 12 months after program completion;
(7) The industry-recognized credentials attained by apprentices in an IRAP, and the annual number of such credentials attained;
(8) The annualized average earnings of an IRAP's former apprentices, calculated over the 6 month period after IRAP completion;
(9) Training cost per apprentice; and
(10) Basic demographic information on participants.
(i) An SRE must have policies and procedures that require IRAPs' adherence to applicable Federal, State, and local laws pertaining to EEO, and must facilitate such adherence through the SRE's policies and procedures regarding potential harassment, intimidation, and retaliation (such as the provision of anti-harassment training, and a process for handling EEO and harassment complaints from apprentices); must have policies and procedures that reflect comprehensive outreach strategies to reach diverse populations that may participate in IRAPs; and must assign responsibility to an individual to assist IRAPs with matters relating to this paragraph.
(j) An SRE must have policies and procedures for addressing complaints filed by apprentices, prospective apprentices, an apprentice's authorized representative, a personnel certification body, or an employer against each IRAP the SRE recognizes. An SRE must make publicly available the aggregated number of complaints pertaining to each IRAP in a format and frequency prescribed by the Administrator.
(k) An SRE must notify the public about the right of an apprentice, a prospective apprentice, the apprentice's authorized representative, a personnel certification body, or an employer, to file a complaint with the SRE against an IRAP the complainant is associated with, and the requirements for filing a complaint.
(l) An SRE must notify the public about the right to file a complaint against it with the Administrator as set forth in § 29.25.
(m) If an SRE has received notice of derecognition pursuant to § 29.27(c)(1)(ii) or (c)(3), the SRE must inform each IRAP it has recognized and the public of its derecognition.
(n) An SRE must publicly disclose any fees it charges to IRAPs.
(o) An SRE must ensure that records regarding each IRAP recognized, including whether the IRAP has met all applicable requirements of this subpart, are maintained for a minimum of 5 years.
(p) An SRE must follow any policy or procedure submitted to the Administrator or otherwise required by this subpart, and an SRE must notify the Administrator when it makes significant changes to its policies or procedures.