Apprentice Brigade is looking to partner with any organization in which we can mutually benefit in a common goal. As an act of Social Entrepreneurism, we believe there are great benefits to the community to be gained from this program. With any outside the box concept, there may be opportunities we haven’t considered. If you like what you have seen with our program and feel your organization might be a fit, please contact us to discuss.
The following opportunities and needs have been identified.
Funding
In order to cover the costs of the program, we will need to aggregate a variety of funding sources. Over the long haul we know we need to become self sustaining, however in this critical phase of establishing the program we need to cover startup and operating costs. These costs include:
- Full time apprenticeship coordinator/instructor
- Lab/Classroom space
- Computer equipment
- Third party curriculum and certifications
- Percentage of apprentice wages
- Offset lost revenue generation from mentors
Of course the questions are; how do we fund this and who should pay for it. Excellent questions. In our 2010 workforce training program we received a very small stipend from the now defunct Redevelopment Department in Santa Cruz, and the rest of the startup and operational costs were self funded by our company. After running two cohorts of five interns, we had to shut the program down despite demand from the community.
Current Sources
We are pursuing grant funding within the education system related to apprenticeships. At best this will help cover the costs of the coordinator position for 1-2 years. Other grants might also provide some minor support for other costs, but we don’t expect this to be significant.
Needed Sources
We wish to partner with colleges within the entire Central Coast region to solidify career pathways through our program and to area employers, as well as discuss any available funding opportunities. For Educators
At the government level we would welcome contribution through workforce development initiatives. We are currently exploring this area and would welcome introductions with city and county government outside our immediate area of Santa Cruz city. For Government
We are seeking partnerships with area philanthropists and philanthropic organizations who see the value in making community based investments. This includes organizations which share workforce development objectives. For Philanthropists
Lastly we are looking for employers who see the value of curating local talent to fill job vacancies as a viable alternative to importing talent from outside the area. There are a number of opportunities to working with us. For Employers
