(a) OJT—(1) Description. OJT is work-based training provided under contract with an employer in the public, nonprofit, or private sector to an AAW who is employed by the employer. OJT may be approved if the worker meets the requirements under §§ 618.610, 618.615, and 618.665. The State must determine that the OJT in question:

(i) Can reasonably be expected to lead to suitable employment with the employer offering the OJT;

(ii) Is compatible with the skills of the worker;

(iii) Includes a curriculum through which the worker will gain the knowledge or skills to become proficient in the job for which the worker is being trained; and

(iv) Can be measured by standards or targets that indicate the worker is gaining such knowledge or skills.

(2) Related education. Related skills training provided as part of the OJT contract and sponsored by the employer may be provided in conjunction with the OJT. Such training may be provided at the employment site, or at educational institutions, or other locations. TAA Program funds can be used to pay the OJT participant's expenses associated with the educational or instructional component (e.g., classroom and distance learning, tools, uniforms, equipment, and books) for an AAW's participation in an OJT program.

(3) Duration. The OJT contract with the employer must specify the duration of the OJT. The duration of the OJT must be appropriate to the occupational goal for which the AAW is being trained, taking into consideration the skills requirements of the job for which the AAW is being trained, the academic and occupational skill level of the AAW, and the work experience of the AAW, as documented in the worker's IEP, if available. The duration of the training must be long enough for the worker to become sufficiently proficient in the occupation for which the training is being provided to enable the worker to perform as well as workers in comparable positions within the firm. The OJT:

(i) Must not exceed the specific vocational preparation required for the occupation, as listed on O*NET (www.onetonline.org); and

(ii) Must not exceed 104 weeks in any case.

(4) Exclusion of certain employers. The State may not enter into a contract for OJT with an employer that exhibits a pattern of failing to provide workers receiving OJT from the employer with:

(i) Continued long-term employment as regular employees; and

(ii) Wages, benefits, and working conditions that are equivalent to the wages, benefits and working conditions provided to regular employees who have worked a similar period of time and are doing the same type of work as workers receiving the OJT from the employer.

(5) Reimbursement. (i) Pursuant to the OJT contract, the employer is provided reimbursement of not more than 50 percent of the wage rate of the OJT participant, for the costs of providing the training and additional supervision related to the training.

(ii) The reimbursement for OJT must be limited to the duration of approved training as specified in the OJT contract.

(6) Approval of the costs of OJT. OJT costs for an AAW may be approved by a State only if a determination is made that:

(i) No currently employed individual is displaced (including a partial displacement, such as a reduction in the hours of nonovertime work, wages, or employment benefits) by the AAW;

(ii) Such training does not impair existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements;

(iii) In the case of training that would be inconsistent with the terms of a collective bargaining agreement, written concurrence has been obtained from the concerned labor organization;

(iv) No other individual is on layoff from the same or any substantially equivalent job for which the AAW is being trained;

(v) The employer has not terminated the employment of any regular employee or otherwise reduced the workforce of the employer with the intention of filling the vacancy by hiring the AAW;

(vi) The job for which the AAW is being trained is not being created in a promotional line that will infringe in any way upon the promotional opportunities of currently employed individuals;

(vii) The training is not for the same occupation from which the AAW was separated with respect to which the AAW's worker group is covered under a certification rendered under subpart B of this part;

(viii) The employer has not received payment under the TAA Program or under any other Federal law for any other OJT provided by such employer that failed to meet the requirements of this section or the requirements of the other Federal laws governing employment practices; and

(ix) The employer has not taken, at any time, any action that violated the terms of this section with respect to any other OJT provided by the employer for which the State has made a payment under the TAA Program.

(7) Payment of the costs of OJT. The costs of OJT that are paid from TAA Program funds must be paid in monthly installments.

(8) TRA eligibility during OJT. Under § 618.780(c), an AAW may not be paid TRA for any week during which the worker is in OJT and, therefore, may be ineligible for the HCTC, if available.

(9) RTAA eligibility during OJT. Participants enrolled in OJT may be eligible for RTAA. All the requirements at subpart E of this part must be met.

(10) Use of WIOA funds for OJT. TAA Program funds may be leveraged with WIOA funds to provide a reimbursement rate equal to that allowable under WIOA. See WIOA section 134(c)(3)(H) (29 U.S.C. 3174(b)(3)(H)).

(11) No OJT for AAIWs. The State must not approve OJT for AAIWs.

(b) Customized training. (1) Customized training is designed to meet the special requirements of a single employer or a group of employers. The training may be conducted by a training provider, a single employer, or group of employers.

(2) Customized training must be conducted with a commitment by the employer or group of employers to employ an AAW upon successful completion of the training. For purposes of customized training, a commitment by the employer(s) to employ a worker upon successful completion of the training, as required by section 236(f)(2) of the Act, means that the employer(s) must enter into an agreement with the State that describes the conditions that must be met for successful completion of the training and the expectation of employment after the training is completed.

(3) The employer must pay at least 50 percent for the cost of the training.

(4) For AAIWs, approval is limited to customized training for a position other than their current position in adversely affected employment. See § 618.655(c)(2).

(c) Apprenticeship. Apprenticeship includes registered apprenticeships under the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the National Apprenticeship Act; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.), as well as other training programs that include a paid work-based learning component and required educational or instructional component that results in the issuance of a recognized postsecondary credential, which includes an industry-recognized credential.

(1) Duration. Apprenticeships are not subject to the 104-week statutory duration of OJT training limit. The length of the paid work-based learning component must not exceed 130 weeks. However, the length of the educational or instructional training component of the apprenticeship may exceed 130 weeks and continue through the scheduled completion of that specific apprenticeship training.

(2) Eligible apprenticeship expenses. TAA Program funds can be used to pay for:

(i) The expenses associated with the educational or instructional component (e.g., classroom and distance learning, tools, uniforms, equipment, and books) for the apprentice; and

(ii) The employer may be reimbursed not more than 50 percent of the apprentice's regular wage rate for the cost of providing the training and additional supervision related to the work-based learning component provided by the employer.

(3) Exclusion of certain employers. The State may not enter into a contract for apprenticeship with an employer that exhibits a pattern of failing to provide apprentices with successful attainment of an industry-recognized credential or the apprenticeship completion certificate in the case of registered apprenticeship, as issued by the U.S. Department of Labor or State apprenticeship agency.

(4) Approval of the costs of apprenticeship—(i) Registered apprenticeships under the National Apprenticeship Act. Costs for an apprenticeship program may be approved by a State only if the requirements of the National Apprenticeship Act, 29 CFR parts 29 and 30, and Departmental administrative guidance are met.

(ii) Other apprenticeships. Costs for an apprenticeship program may be approved by a State only if a determination is made that:

(A) No currently employed worker is displaced (including a partial displacement, such as a reduction in the hours of nonovertime work, wages, or employment benefits) by the apprentice;

(B) Such training does not impair existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements;

(C) In the case of training that would be inconsistent with the terms of a collective bargaining agreement, written concurrence has been obtained from the concerned labor organization;

(D) No other worker is on layoff from the same or any substantially equivalent job for which the apprentice is being trained;

(E) The employer has not terminated the employment of any regular employee or otherwise reduced the workforce of the employer with the intention of filling the vacancy so created by hiring the apprentice;

(F) The job for which the apprentice is being trained is not being created in a promotional line that will infringe in any way upon the promotional opportunities of currently employed workers;

(G) The training is not for the same occupation as the apprentice's adversely affected employment;

(H) The employer has not received payment under the TAA Program or under any other Federal law for any other apprenticeship provided by such employer that failed to meet the requirements of this section or the requirements of the other Federal laws governing employment practices; and

(I) The employer has not taken, at any time, any action that violated the terms of this section with respect to any other apprenticeship provided by the employer for which the State has made a payment under the TAA Program.

(5) TRA and HCTC eligibility during apprenticeships. Workers enrolled in an apprenticeship program, in most cases, will not be able to access TRA income support due to their income earned through wages, but the State must still make individual determinations on TRA benefits. This could also impact HCTC eligibility, if HCTC is available. States must advise workers considering this training option of these issues.

(6) RTAA eligibility during apprenticeships. AAWs age 50 or older enrolled in an apprenticeship program may be eligible for RTAA under subpart E of this part.

(7) State contract with apprenticeship employer. The State must enter into a contract with the employer that provides the terms and conditions of the apprenticeship.