Apprenticeship Initiatives Manager at SAN DIEGO WORKFORCE PARTNERSHIP INC – San Diego, California

The San Diego Workforce Partnership is the leader for innovative workforce solutions in San Diego County. We fund and deliver job training programs that enable all job seekers to develop the skills and knowledge needed for in-demand careers. Our vision is that every business in our region has access to a skilled workforce, and every job seeker has access to meaningful employment. We seek to earn trust and inspire growth in every action we take.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of Strategic Partnerships, the Apprenticeship Initiatives Manager serves as San Diego Workforce Partnership’s regional subject matter expert on registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. This position supports SDWP’s role as a trusted resource for employers, education partners, training providers, and internal teams seeking to develop, expand, or strengthen apprenticeship pathways across San Diego County. The Apprenticeship Initiatives Manager provides technical guidance, research, and grant support to advance apprenticeship opportunities across priority sectors. With a strong understanding of apprenticeship policy, funding strategies, and regulatory requirements, this role advises employers and internal teams on best practices and sustainability approaches. Additionally, the Apprenticeship Initiatives Manager will connect partners to appropriate resources and intermediary organizations when specialized program development support is needed, ensuring alignment with state and federal regulations while strengthening regional apprenticeship capacity.

Essential Functions    

1. Serve as SDWP’s internal and external subject matter expert on registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs.
2. Provide technical assistance and guidance to employers, training providers, education, and internal SDWP partners exploring apprenticeship as a workforce strategy, including information on program models, funding opportunities, regulatory requirements, and sustainability considerations.
3. Develop tools, resource materials, and presentations to educate employers, training providers, and internal staff on apprenticeship models, funding strategies, and best practices.
4. Provide advisory support to partners and internal teams engaged in developing or expanding registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs.
5. Assist in refining SDWP’s vision and strategy for integrating apprenticeship into broader workforce and sector initiatives.
6. Represent SDWP through outreach, convenings, and presentations to strengthen regional apprenticeship awareness and capacity.
7. Connect employers, training providers, and partners to appropriate intermediary organizations, education institutions, and state agencies when specialized program development or registration support is needed.
8. Remain updated on agency initiatives related to apprenticeships (e.g. DAS, DOL, ETP, etc.) and inform key stakeholders of important information.
9. Identify and support pursuit of funding opportunities, including grant research and proposal development, to strengthen regional apprenticeship sustainability.
10. Track regional apprenticeship activity at a strategic level and contribute to required reports, board updates, and performance summaries in coordination with appropriate internal teams.
11. Collaborate with Sector Initiatives and Program Specific staff to support the growth and alignment of new and established pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs
12. Serve as a resource to apprenticeship training providers on the Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL), supporting quality standards and alignment with workforce funding opportunities.
13. Perform other related duties as assigned.

Fundamental Job Requirements  

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, workforce development, education, business administration, or related field OR equivalent prior work experience.
• Three to five (3-5) years of experience working with registered apprenticeship programs.
• Demonstrated knowledge of registered apprenticeship structures, standards, registration processes, and state and federal regulatory requirements.
• Experience providing technical assistance or advisory support to employers, education institutions, or workforce partners.
• Experience researching and supporting grant development or managing grant-funded initiatives.
• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple initiatives independently.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Entrepreneurial mindset and proven track record of taking initiative and delivering results.
• Ability to build effective relationships with employers, education partners, public agencies, and intermediary organizations.
• Computer proficiency, particularly with the Microsoft Office suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Desired Requirements

• Master’s degree in public administration, workforce development, education, business administration or related field.
• Experience working with the Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) or U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship programs.
• Experience working with intermediary organizations that support apprenticeship development.
• Experience with WIOA-funded training programs
• Experience and/or familiarity with the in-demand occupations for San Diego County.
• Experience with Salesforce.

Our Values 

Collaboration:  

Engaging in inclusive, respectful relationships among colleagues, customers and community that foster the achievement of shared goals. 

Excellence:  

Driving quality, innovation and measurable outcomes through a customer-centered focus and a high-performance culture. 

Stewardship:  

Strategic, efficient, effective use of resources to meet the evolving needs of our customers and community with the highest levels of integrity. 

Inclusion:  

Taking responsibility for creating a culture where everyone is welcomed, heard, valued and empowered to fully participate and reach their full potential.  

Equity:  

Prioritizing those who have been systemically denied opportunity through policies, priorities, practices, and behaviors that result in access to opportunity for ALL colleagues, customers, and communities. 

We Love to Take Care of Our Workforce Associates–

We offer a great work environment, a culture that values individuality and inclusion, collaborative and innovative teams, and a competitive pay and benefits package. Our benefits include PTO, PTO sell-back program, generous employer-paid benefits (platinum plans), company-paid learning and professional development program, pension plan and 457 retirement plan additional employee wellness. Compensation for this position ranges from $88,386-$120,808.

In the spirit of pay transparency, we are excited to share the base salary range for this position. If you are hired at San Diego Workforce Partnership, your final base salary (within the pay range), will be determined based on factors such as education, knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition to those factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider the internal equity of our current team members when determining any final offer. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is the full base salary range for the role. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical in order to allow for future and continued salary growth. We also offer generous benefits and retirement plans.

At the Workforce Partnership, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, and the work that we do in the communities we serve. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace for all. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

San Diego Workforce Partnership is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.