1. Apprenticeship Standards

Apprenticeship Innovation Funding (AIF)

Apprenticeship Innovation Funding (AIF) is a funding source for new and innovative apprenticeship programs in California. AIF focuses on sustaining and scaling registered apprenticeship programs beyond the building and fire trades—industries such as healthcare, advanced manufacturing, information technology, education, and many more.

The state has allocated $95 million over three years to support ongoing costs of these programs and classroom training. To date, DAS has awarded:

• Round 1        $17.3 million
• Round 2       $24.8 million
• Round 3       $29.8 million

The successful implementation of AIF over the past 3 years demonstrates how supportive funding can have a profound effect on sustaining and scaling new and innovative apprenticeship programs. In the most recent round (FY 2024-2025), AIF expanded its reach by awarding nearly $30 million, supporting more than 10,000 apprentices through AIF-Support and nearly 1,500 apprentices through AIF-Training.

For more insights on the impact of AIF, review the AIF Fact Sheet.

View the complete list from all three funding rounds in the Awardees section below.

Timeline

Submissions for AIF reimbursement open once per year, and applications submitted consider active apprentices supported and trained within the previous year.

Funding Details

Type of funding: Formula

Estimated total funding:

• $95,000,000 allocated to date
• $72,038,367 awarded
• Approx. $22,000,000 available for AIF FY 2025 – 2026

Award amount:

• AIF - Support Funding
• Amount: $3500 per active apprentice per year, prorated to the month, along with $1000 per apprentice completion bonus 
• Covers the cost of running an apprenticeship program, aggregating employer demands, and recruiting, supporting, and placing apprentices 

• AIF - Training Funding
• Amount: $10.05 per training hour per apprentice
• Allows for new training programs to develop in a more agile manner and will specifically be used for training costs for IACA Apprentices 

Resources

2024/2025 Resources for Applying:
AIF Guidance 
AIF- Support Cover Sheet - PDF |Word
AIF- Support Expense Report - PDF | Word
AIF- Support Expense Narrative - PDF | Word
AIF- Training Cover Sheet - PDF | Word 
AIF- Training Expense Report - PDF | Word
AIF- Training Expense Narrative - PDF | Word
Standard Form 204
Standard Form 205
Web Registration User Guide for Apprentice Agreements (IACA)
Web Registration User Guide for AIF CAS Report

More Information

Sector: All apprenticeship programs associated with the sectors overseen by the Interagency Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships (IACA). These sectors include healthcare, transportation, education, advanced manufacturing, information technology and every sector outside of the building and fire trades.

Target population: The intent of the funding is to support both new and existing IACA occupation associated apprenticeship programs to grow and scale to meet the needs of more employers and create more earn and learn pathways for job seekers.

Eligible Entities

AIF - Support

• Apprenticeship Intermediaries
• Labor Management Partnerships Organizations, Unions
• Public Educational Institution: Community College, K12, Adult Education, County Office of Education, California State Universities, Universities of California, Regional Occupational Program
• Workforce Development Board
• Non-Profit
• Private for-profit
• Public Sector Entities
• Industry Associations

AIF - Training 

• K-12 School
• County Office of Education
• Regional Occupational Program
• Community College
• California State University
• University of California
• Adult Education

Required partners: N/A

Contact: AIF@dir.ca.gov

Awardees

The successful implementation of AIF FY 2022–2023 and FY 2023-2024 rounds demonstrates how supportive funding can have a profound effect on sustaining and scaling new and innovative apprenticeship programs. AIF is an innovative funding source accessible to all IACA apprenticeship programs if they meet the eligibility criteria. The funding model is not a competitive grant, as the mechanism ensures that funds awarded are distributed in a transparent and equitable manner, with the goal of expanding apprenticeship opportunities across many sectors.

Explore the AIF awardee highlights and participant data below to gain a comprehensive view of the profound impact AIF has had in fostering growth within the IACA apprenticeship landscape, reflecting our commitment to empowering IACA workforce development and in turn ensuring the expansion of earn and learn career opportunities for Californians. 

Latest AIF News

• California Awards $24.7 Million to Supercharge Apprenticeship Growth in New Industries / Published: November 22, 2024
• California Invests $17 Million to Expand Apprenticeships to New Industries / Published: December 13, 2023

October 2025