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Apprenticeships for America is pleased to host an array of Workshop Sessions, engaging discussions and activities facilitated by leading apprenticeship experts, implementers, and advocates. Please explore the Sessions and presenting speakers below. (Note: Sessions are listed in alphabetical order by presenting organization.)
Approaches to Estimating Employer Return on Investment (ROI) of Registered Apprenticeship
Recognizing that employers are critical to expanding registered apprenticeship in the United States, this session, led by Abt Global, will generate discussion on the array of ways employers derive benefit from investing in registered apprenticeship, and share approaches to estimating employer return on investment.
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Elizabeth Copson
Abt Global | Senior Associate
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Andrew Clarkwest
Abt Global | Principal Associate
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Daniel Kuehn
Urban Institute | Principal Research Associate
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William Duncan
University of Kansas | Assistant Research Professor of Data Science
Lessons Learned: 10 Years of Impact in Modern Apprenticeship
Over the last ten years, our professional Apprenticeship Program in the US & Canada has delivered deep impact and countless ripples of change to our own company and to the communities where we live and work. Bringing perspectives from the apprentice experience, business leadership, and other stakeholders, this session will demonstrate the value and impact of apprenticeship.
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Pallavi Verma
Accenture | Senior Managing Director, Americas Quality Lead, Executive Sponsor Apprenticeship Program
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Francheska Feliciano
Aon | Director, Apprenticeship Program
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Caitlyn Brazill
Per Scholas | President
Charging Ahead: Innovative Apprenticeship Partnerships in Advanced Manufacturing
This session spotlights an innovative Rivian–Heartland Community College apprenticeship model in the EV sector, showing how employer–college partnerships can build scalable talent pipelines and extend work-based learning pathways from CTE to high-demand careers.
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Nithya Govindasamy
Advance CTE | Senior Director of Policy
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Kristi Glesne
Heartland Community College | Associate Director, Program Development & Innovation
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Ian Barnes
Rivian Automotive | Sr. Training Instructor, Learning & Development
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Jennifer Worth
American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) | Sr. Vice President, Academic & Workforce Development
Stronger Together: How unions and employers power successful apprenticeships!
Who’s better equipped to shape the future of work than the people who do the work and the people who depend on it? Labor-management partnerships are the driving force behind the most successful apprenticeships.
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Sylvia Casaro Dietert
AFL-CIO Working for America Institute | Program Manager
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Gay Henson
International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers (IFPTE) | Secretary-Treasurer
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Will Trumm
Tennessee Valley Authority | Executice Vice-President and Chief Administrative and Hunan Resources Officer
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Madeline Boehm
H-CAP, Inc. | Program Manager
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Jamaine Gibson
Amalgamated Transit Union | Director of Apprenticeship and Workforce
Strategies to Advance Quality Pre-Apprenticeship Programs
American Institutes for Research (AIR) will share best practices from across the country on strategies to advance pre-apprenticeship programs, using real-world examples to demonstrate what is working to build quality and sustainable programs. This session will examine findings from a recent survey conducted with state apprenticeship offices that address the characteristics of pre-apprenticeship programs, proven strategies for program expansion and support, pertinent legislation and policies, registration or certification procedures, data collection methodologies, partnership advancement, and related benefits.
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Amy Beller
AIR | Senior TA Consultant
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Amanda Richardson
Apprenticeship Carolina | Vice President
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Tara Loew
Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry | State Apprenticeship Director
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Julie Kreiss
Brightbound | Senior Director of Career Navigation Impact Hub
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Danielle Demirovic
Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry | Pre-Apprenticeship Supervisor
Building the Tools to Build a System - The High Impact Occupation Assessment
Representatives of the Project on Apprenticeship Standards and Interoperability (PASI) will share and seek feedback about the High Impact Occupation (HIO) assessment being developed in partnership with state apprenticeship agencies.
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Josh Laney
C-BEN | VP of Apprenticeship and Work-Embedded Learning
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John Marotta
Urban Institute | Principal Policy Associate- Work, Education, and Labor Division
Scaling Apprenticeship Through a Statewide Intermediary Network: Lessons from California
Building strong employer engagement is the linchpin of apprenticeship expansion, but most states and regions struggle to build the sustained relationships, capacity, and coordination needed to recruit, support, and retain employers at scale. This session will explore how California is investing in employer engagement at the regional level through a coordinated statewide approach that aligns funding, policy, and on-the-ground support.
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Gary Adams
California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office | Dean of Apprenticeship, Adult Education, and Contract Education
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Adele Burnes
California Division of Apprenticeship Standards | Chief
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Krysti Specht
Jobs for the Future | Director of the Center for Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning
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Charles Henkels
LAUNCH Apprenticeship Network | Executive Director
From Classroom to Clinic: Accelerating Healthcare Careers Through Apprenticeship
The healthcare workforce is growing, but students face complex barriers transitioning from high school to career. This session showcases the CareerWise New York Healthcare Youth Pathway Accelerator, a pioneering model that integrates high school healthcare pathways, paid on-the-job learning, and aligned postsecondary degrees.
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Anne Kelley-Kemple
CareerWise | Senior Director of Onboarding & Integration
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Jenna Sandker
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | Director, Talent Acquisition
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Philip Gimber
LaGuardia Community College | Chairperson, Health Sciences Department
Success By Design, Access By Intent: Building Equitable Apprenticeship Pathways
The ECEPTS model challenges systemic barriers, prioritizes participant success, and reconsiders the intersection of on-the-job training and academic instruction to create apprenticeships that are equitable and effective at recruiting and retaining non-traditional students, historically marginalized groups, and others who may encounter barriers to engaging and completing apprenticeship programs.
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Randi Wolfe, PhD
ECEPTS | Executive Director
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Sandra Moore
ECEPTS | Chief Program Officer
Shared Systems, Shared Success: Scaling Apprenticeships Through Group Sponsorship
This session shows how strategic intermediaries combine state alignment, group sponsorship, and data-driven tools to scale high-quality apprenticeships and simplify compliance across sectors.
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Brandy Gonzalez
Florida Trade Academy | VP, Operations
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Japman Bajaj
Vametric | Executive Vice President
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Jan van der Hoop
Fit First Technologies | President
Building a Movement of Apprenticeship Degrees in Massachusetts
It doesn’t have to be a choice between work or school; it can be both... with an apprenticeship degree.
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Aisha Francis
Franklin Cummings Tech | President and CEO
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Marjorie Ringrose
Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation Director of Education
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Pam Eddinger
Bunker Hill Community College | President
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Luis Pedraja
Quinsigamong Community College | President
Closer to Employers, Tougher to Scale: Solving the Cross-State Apprenticeship Puzzle
This panel explores how intermediaries, industry associations, and state apprenticeship teams can reduce friction and enable multi-state scale in registered apprenticeship through shared standards, clearer data practices, and practical technology-enabled collaboration.
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Dave Hernandez
Global Electronics Association | Vice President of Education
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Melanie Flowers
Craft Education | Chief Workforce Strategy Officer
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Lisa McIntyre-Hite
Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN) | Chief Operating Officer
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John Ladd
Jobs for the Future (JFF) | Senior Advisor
Building a Foundation for AI in Apprenticeships: Lessons from Google’s U.S. Apprenticeships Team
As AI technology reshapes the possibilities of daily work , organizations across all sectors are facing a shared challenge: how to ensure the next generation of talent is prepared to use these tools effectively and responsibly. This session offers a look behind the scenes at Google’s effort to build an ""evergreen"" and comprehensive approach to AI in the professional workplace. By sharing the high-level principles behind our curriculum design and how we align with broader industry standards , we aim to spark a dialogue on how different industries can foster a workforce that is adaptable, proficient, and ultimately accountable for the technology they use.
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Emily Knapp
Google | Program Manager
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Suzy de Blois
Google | Program Manager
Building a Thriving Apprenticeship Ecosystem: Illinois Community Colleges' Journey and Collaborative Vision
During this session, we will chronicle the apprenticeship journey Illinois community colleges have undertaken—from initial exploration to expansion of registered apprenticeship, which includes participating in statewide surveys to assess needs and measure growth, monthly virtual learning communities that provide ongoing professional development and peer support, and an apprenticeship convening that brings together practitioners and stakeholders to share best practices.
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Angela Gerberding
Illinois Community College Board | Director for Work-Based Learning
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Bonnie Moore
Lake Land College | Director, Center for Business & Industry
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Danielle Kuglin Seago
College of DuPage | Manager, Project Hire-Ed
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Corey Young
City Colleges of Chicago | Associate Vice Chancellor, Apprenticeship & Workforce Solutions
Corrections to Careers: Iowa’s Apprenticeship Model for Reentry Success
This session will spotlight how Iowa’s model builds employer-aligned curricula, leverages stackable credentials, and coordinates reentry and workforce services so participants leave incarceration with both marketable skills and a verified pathway to sustained employment.
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Jennifer Seil
Iowa Department of Corrections | Executive Officer III
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Dane Sulentic
Iowa Office of Apprenticeship | Director
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Jeff Abramowitz
Petey Greene Program | CEO
Ready, Willing and Able: Unlocking Apprenticeships for People with Disabilities, A California Model for the Nation
This session examines how California is using employer led apprenticeship models to expand opportunity for people with disabilities, align workforce funding with real labor market demand, and build a scalable framework other states can replicate.
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Nicholas Wyman IWSI America | Executive Director
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Dr Deborah Williamson
IWSI America | Vice President
The Future of State Apprenticeship Agencies
This session will explore how the expansion of State Apprenticeship Agencies across the country is impacting apprenticeship adoption, and how SAAs can align & optimize their operations to scale apprenticeship.
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Matthew McKenney
JobForward | CEO/President
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Logan Dean
Maryland Office of Apprenticeship | Deputy Director of Apprenticeship
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Jay Ramsey
Vermont DOL | Director of Workforce Development
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Todd Cohen
Lockheed Martin | Sr. Manager, Strategic Workforce Development
International Exchange + Dynamic Impact: Transferring Swiss VET to the U.S.
In July 2025, the Embassy of Switzerland and International Knowledge Exchange initiated a study visit to Zurich, Bern and Winterthur for workforce leaders to be immersed in the system of Swiss Vocational Education and Training (VET), with a focus on health and social care. This session summarizes the model and tells the story of what happened next, when Johns Hopkins University’s School of Education invited 4 local U.S. geographies (Baltimore MD, Lake County IL, Nashville TN and Rochester NY) to create a Learning Community by linking arms with Swiss counterparts to locally implement new ideas in the United states.
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Melanie Upright
Johns Hopkins University School of Education | Research Program Administrator for Leadership and Educational Impact
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Brandon Phinx
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development | Deputy State Apprenticeship Director
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Jennifer Serino
Lake County Workforce Development Board | Executive Director
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Natalie Branosky
The New Possible / International Knowledge Exchange | CEO
The Power of Partnership: Expanding Apprenticeship Pathways in Advanced Manufacturing
As advanced manufacturing industry continues to grow, employers are increasingly taking advantage of Registered Apprenticeship as a strategy to upskill workers in traditional and non-traditional roles. Through Statewide collaboration with community-based organizations, employers, local workforce development boards, and post-secondary educational institutions, this panel will explore New York's interconnected partnership ecosystem to strengthen the talent pipeline from pre-apprenticeship to Registered Apprenticeship.
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Michael Frame
MACNY, The Manufacturers Association | Executive Vice President
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Capri O'Hara
NY CREATES | Education Outreach and Workforce Development Manager
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Chris White
State University of New York | Vice Chancellor of Workforce Development and Upward Mobility
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Eric Peckham
PPC Broadband, Inc. (Belden, Inc) | Director of Manufacturing Engineering
From Incentives to Impact: Maryland’s Pay-for-Apprenticeship Model and the Evolution of State Apprenticeship Funding
Learn about Maryland's evolving apprenticeship funding landscape and how new state investments are driving apprenticeship expansion.
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Logan Dean
Maryland Department of Labor | Deputy Director, Office of Apprenticeship
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John Ladd
JFF | Senior Advisor
Strategies to Expand Apprenticeship in Emerging Industries
This session will describe findings from a portfolio of studies examining two U.S. Department of Labor grant programs that aimed to expand apprenticeships in non-traditional occupations.
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Samina Sattar
Mathematica | Principal Researcher
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Jonah Deutsch
Mathematica | Principal Researcher
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Daniel Kuehn
Urban Institute | Principal Research Associate
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Jemiel Rose
CT State Community College | Director of Post Award Management
Powering the Clean Energy Workforce: How Apprenticeships Bridge the Skills Gap for 70 Million STARs
The clean energy sector faces a critical paradox: while demand for skilled technicians skyrockets, employers report overwhelming difficulty finding qualified workers. Across the energy sector, employers struggle to fill installation positions despite abundant job opportunities. Meanwhile, 70 million American workers – STARs (Skilled Through Alternative Routes) – possess transferable skills from military service, community college, or on-the-job experience but lack traditional four-year degrees that many employers still require. This panel brings together diverse perspectives on building sustainable apprenticeship pathways that value skills over credentials. Panelists will demonstrate how cross-sector collaboration creates workforce solutions that benefit businesses, communities, and STARs seeking economic mobility.
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Courtney Haynes
Opportunity@Work | Chief Impact Officer
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Pagan Poggione
Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) | Vice President Workforce Strategy and Innovation
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Amy Volz
Trane Technologies | Head of Workforce Innovation/ Strategic Partnerships & Corporate Impact
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Erika Symmonds
GRID Alternatives | Workforce Program Advisor
Building Tomorrow’s Educators: Apprenticeship Pathways that Ignite Careers
Hear from successful operators of education apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships that do not require a bachelor's degree to start, but prepare novice educators for in-demand jobs.
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Kate Cochran
Partnership for Student Success | Managing Director
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Katherine Bassett
New Jersey Tutoring Corps Chief | Executive Officer
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Ben Fritch, Ph.D.
Teachers College, Ball State University | Director of Teacher Pathway Programs
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Katrina Gobins
Ampact | Executive Director of New York Programs
Connected & Thriving: Youth Apprenticeship and Opportunity Youth
Join PAYA and special guests from the California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship grant initiative, Career Launch Chicago, and Project for Pride in Living (MN) for a conversation exploring why youth apprenticeship is a promising option for keeping young people connected to school and work and what it would take to fully realize its promise.
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Sarah Oldmixon
Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship | Consultant
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Kelenia Olsen
California Department of Industrial Relations | Youth Partnership Manager
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Stephanie Gómez
City Colleges of Chicago | Director, Career Launch Chicago
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Ena Ruiz
Project for Pride in Living | Youth Apprentice
Understanding the Apprenticeship-Seeker: Broadening and Strengthening the Talent Pipeline
An interactive session that helps apprenticeship leaders understand the apprenticeship-seeker’s perspective — from first awareness to application — so they can attract and support talent that is aligned, prepared, and likely to thrive with employers.
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Rebecca Agostino
Prentix | Founder, CEO
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Allison Danielson
Tallo | CEO
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Stephanie Peete
Say Yes Buffalo | Senior Director of Workforce Development
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Bomi Akarakiri
Young People's Alliance | Research and Policy Director
Building Trust, Bridging Gaps: How Apprenticeship Partnerships Are Powering Workforce Innovation
This session highlights how strong, trust‑based partnerships between workforce boards, employers, apprentices and apprenticeship programs drive resilient talent pipelines, support community economic growth, and offer practical insights from real-world collaboration and impact.
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Kim Tesch-Vaught
Public Consulting Group | Manager Business Development
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Dr. Ximena Gates
BuildWithin | CEO and Co-Founder
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Anika Holmes
DC Workforce Investment Council | Chief of Staff
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Philip Minardi
BuildWithin | Co-Founder
Blueprints for Impact: The Intermediary’s Toolkit for Employer-Centric Apprenticeship Systems in Semiconductors
This interactive workshop explores how apprenticeship intermediaries can take a leading role in employer-driven workforce development within the semiconductor industry. Drawing on SEMI Foundation's multi-state work in Michigan, California, and Arizona, and the unique perspective of a semiconductor industry employer actively running a technician apprenticeship program, this conversation will present a firsthand perspective on what it takes to build and sustain apprenticeship from the inside. The session emphasizes systems thinking, stakeholder trade-offs, and the evolving intermediary role from industry partner to program sponsor.
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Mike Glavin
SEMI Foundation | Program Director, Workforce Development
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Robert Sanger
SEMI Foundation | Program Manager, Workforce Training & Operations
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Nick Irigoyen
SEMI Foundation | Project Manager, Workforce Development & Apprenticeships
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Megan Simpson
FM Industries | Training Specialist
From Readiness to Retention: The Case for Investing Early in Apprenticeship Support
Leaders from Social Finance, TradesFutures, and a pre-apprenticeship provider share best practices and real-world examples showing how early investment in the learner journey reduces attrition and strengthens apprenticeship pipelines at lower cost.
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Ryan Hoecker
Social Finance | Associate Director
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Nadine Abraham
Social Finance | Director
Building Statewide Apprenticeships Through Employer–College Partnerships: The PennTRAIN Model
This session explores how employers can collaborate with community and technical colleges to design and implement regional or statewide registered apprenticeship programs that address shared training needs—especially for small and medium-sized organizations with limited in-house training capacity.
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Alex Lehman
PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY | Training Specialist | Workforce Development
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Richard Schlameuss
Monroe County Transportation Authority | Chief Executive Officer
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Karitsa Holdzkom
Transit Workforce Center | Senior Policy Analyst
Setting the Stage for Scaling Apprenticeship Degrees
This session will present a proposed practice, policy, and research agenda for advancing apprenticeship degrees, an emerging model that combines apprenticeship programs with postsecondary degrees to leverage the impact of each type of program.
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Deborah Kobes
Urban Institute | Senior Fellow
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Braden Goetz
New America | Senior Policy Advisor
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Arlene Vallie
Bunker Hill Community College, Chelsea Campus | Associate Provost
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Stephen Danna
NYS Educator Workforce Development HUB | Subject Matter Expert P-12 Districts and BOCES
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Julia Payne
Urban Institute | Research Associate
