In 2016 the U.S. Department of Labor released updated Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) regulations for Registered Apprenticeship programs.

These standards, set forth at 29 CFR parts 29 and 30, are intended to provide for more uniform training of apprentices and to promote equal opportunity in apprenticeship.

To promote an environment in which all apprentices feel safe, welcomed, and treated fairly, Registered Apprenticeship programs are required to provide anti-harassment training to all apprentices and to all other individuals connected with the administration and operation of the apprenticeship program, including journey-level workers, who regularly work with the apprentices.[1]

Importantly, the training must not be a mere transmittal of information, but must include participation by trainees, such as attending a training session in person or completing an interactive training online.[2]

Under the EEO regulations, apprenticeship sponsors must:

• Refrain from discrimination, including new protected bases;
• Update, post, and disseminate the EEO pledge;
• Post information about how to file complaints of discrimination with the appropriate apprenticeship registration agency;
• Begin universal outreach and recruitment efforts, including creating a list of organizations that can be sources of referrals of a diverse pool of apprenticeship applicants;
• Use any selection procedures they choose, as long as those procedures are not unlawfully discriminatory; and
• Implement anti-harassment measures, including provide anti-harassment training.

Our firm has created a series of training modules specifically designed to help sponsors meet these legal requirements, while simultaneously improving your organization’s overall learning environment. Please contact us today to learn more about our training services.

[1] 29 CFR § 30.3(b)(4)(i). The training content must include, at a minimum, communication of the following:
(A) That harassing conduct will not be tolerated;
(B) The definition of harassment and the types of conduct that constitute unlawful harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age (40 or older), genetic information, and disability; and
(C) The right to file a harassment complaint under 29 CFR § 30.14.

[2] An in-person training session can also be part of the orientation and periodic information session that a sponsor must conduct under 29 CFR § 30.3(b)(2)(iii) to inform or remind individuals connected with the administration or operation of the apprenticeship program of the sponsor’s equal employment opportunity policy.