Apprenticeships have never mattered more—and neither has getting the data right. Yet most programs are still juggling spreadsheets, email threads, paper evaluations, and portals that don’t talk to each other. Sponsor admins, colleges, employers, and mentors all see different pieces of the puzzle, while workforce boards and state agencies struggle to get the outcomes data they need.
Craft Connect was built for exactly this problem: it’s a free apprenticeship data platform that gives every stakeholder a clear view of the same story. Here are three reasons it’s the easiest way to modernize apprenticeship management without overhauling everything you already do.
1. Role-based access that keeps everyone aligned
Apprenticeship ecosystems are messy by design. A single program might involve a sponsor admin, an education provider admin, one or more employer admins, instructors, on-the-job evaluators, and a cohort of learners spread across sites.
Without structure, that turns into:
- Confusion about who approves what
- Duplicated work when multiple teams track the same data
- Risky over-sharing of sensitive information
Craft solves this with a role-based permission model that mirrors how real programs actually run. Sponsor admins can see the full picture across organizations and programs. Education provider and employer admins manage their own learners, evaluators, and content. Instructors and evaluators focus on feedback and sign-offs. Learners see exactly what’s due, what’s approved, and how their progress adds up over time.
Instead of emailing spreadsheets back and forth, each role logs into the same platform and sees the fields, reports, and actions that match their responsibilities. That means cleaner data, fewer bottlenecks, and much less “Who owns this?” chaos.
2. Easy to use—and built to plug into your existing systems
Most apprenticeship tools were built either for HR teams or for one-off employer programs. Craft is different: it was designed for education + workforce partnerships from day one. Programs are structured around levels, plans, and activities, so admins can model real on-the-job tasks and related technical instruction in a way that makes sense to faculty, mentors, and learners alike.
Day-to-day tasks stay simple:
- Admins can bulk upload programs, learners, and assignments via CSV instead of hand-entering data.
- Evaluators approve activities using clear rubrics and checklists, rather than hunting through long forms.
- Learners submit work, log hours, and track status in one place.
Craft also plays nicely with the systems you already rely on. Colleges can embed Craft activities directly inside Canvas as an external tool, so instructors and learners don’t have to bounce between multiple tabs just to complete or review an assignment. Program content and evaluation data stay aligned, while grades flow through the LMS as usual.
On the workforce and compliance side, Craft is built to support registered apprenticeships and WIOA-funded programs.
The result: you modernize your apprenticeship data workflow without ripping out your LMS, HR systems, or existing reporting processes.
3. Free to start, so budget isn’t a barrier
Many teams know they’ve outgrown spreadsheets but get stuck at the very first question: “Where will the money come from?” When software is priced per learner, per admin, or per site, scaling a regional or statewide apprenticeship effort can feel impossible.
Craft takes a different approach. The core Craft Connect platform is free for apprenticeship sponsors, education providers, and workforce partners. Organizations can invite unlimited learners, evaluators, and partners into the same environment without worrying about licenses or seat counts.
For teams that want more hands-on help, there are optional services—like tailored implementation support or advanced compliance automation—but the foundational data platform doesn’t sit behind a paywall. That makes it realistic to pilot with one or two programs, prove value, and then scale across departments, partners, or even states without constantly renegotiating contracts.
In other words: you can fix the data problem first, then grow into deeper support as your ecosystem matures.
Bringing it all together
Modern apprenticeships ask a lot of your systems: they have to serve learners, satisfy regulators, and keep employers engaged, all at once. Craft makes that work easier by combining three things that rarely show up in the same place:
- Role-based access that reflects how real apprenticeship ecosystems operate
- A simple, web-based experience that integrates with tools like Canvas and supports rigorous, rubric-based evaluation
- A free platform model that removes budget as the first barrier to doing this work well
If your team is piecing together apprenticeship data in spreadsheets, email threads, and one-off portals, it might be time to see what a unified backbone looks like. Schedule a demo with Craft to explore how a free apprenticeship data platform can help your organization—and your partners—connect systems, stay compliant, and focus on what matters most: helping learners move into high-quality careers.
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