The Thread

Time-based tracks hours; competency-based measures mastery. Use readiness checks to choose or combine models with Craft’s compliance tools.

Learn SAA vs OA for RAP registration, use the DOL lookup, and get tools to launch via the Masterclass Playbook.

The post explains how to map CTE pathways to a RAP’s Appendix A by translating competencies, RTI, and OJL into familiar CTE terms, gathering course artifacts, and running a curriculum crosswalk. It then shows how to close gaps with a pre‑apprenticeship design and validate alignment with sponsors, creating a clear, defensible path from CTE to apprenticeship‑ready programs.

This post turns the Apprenticeship Masterclass Playbook into an Awareness → Alignment → Action roadmap for CTE teams. It helps you inventory existing assets, compare them to RAP components, and pick a single, realistic starting point—like an Appendix A crosswalk or a pre‑apprenticeship—aimed at a 90‑day pilot that moves students into real pathways.

This post argues that mentorship is the defining factor in apprenticeship quality, turning competencies into daily practice through structured coaching, feedback, and protected time. It outlines how to select the right mentors, equip them with tools and rubrics, avoid common pitfalls, and use simple checklists to boost retention, consistency, and RTI–OJL alignment.

In its 2025 Year in Review, Craft’s Data and Research Team shares how new dashboards, grant-funded apprenticeship research, and improved data infrastructure are strengthening the evidence base for workforce development and work-based learning—and outlines priorities for 2026.