1. Apprenticeship Standards

Apprenticeship Innovation Funding (AIF)

The Apprenticeship Innovation Funding (AIF) was a new funding source in the state of California as of 2022 for new and innovative apprenticeship programs, defined as apprenticeships associated with the Interagency Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships (IACA). AIF focuses on sustaining and scaling registered apprenticeship programs in industries beyond traditional apprenticeships in the building and fire trades. These apprenticeship sectors include healthcare, advanced manufacturing, technology, education, and many more sectors. AIF provides critical funding and reimbursement to apprenticeship program partners and local education agencies for the costs of running those programs and training apprentices.  

The State has allocated $95 million over three years to support ongoing costs of these programs and classroom training. DAS awarded $17.3 million during the first round of the AIF (FY 2022-2023) and $24.8 million during the second round of AIF (FY 2023 – 2024). The third round of AIF (FY 2024-2025) makes available $52 million that will build upon the successes of its first and second-round efforts.

View the full list of first and second-round AIF awardees (FY 2022 – 2023 and FY 2023-2024) in the Awardees section below.

Timeline

Submissions for reimbursement open once per year, considering active apprentices supported and trained in previous year.

Apprenticeship Innovation Funding Round 3 (FY 2024-2025) Application Process

Applications Open: February 18, 2025
Applications Close: April 17, 2025, 12:00 pm PST

Action Dates

Funding Details

Type of funding: Formula

Estimated total funding:

• $95,000,000 allocated to date
• $42,185,922 awarded
• Approx. $52,000,000 available for AIF FY 2024 - 2025

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

March 2025