New York State Department of Labor Equal Opportunity

Apprenticeship - Individuals

New York State offers help to employers who want to train employees as apprentices to create a skilled workforce. An apprentice is a person who has a written agreement with a sponsor to provide training through employment and related instruction. It is an "earn while you learn" program.

Sponsors must be registered by the New York State Department of Labor. We approve registration after a review of the proposed sponsor's application. This includes a review of the sponsor's written affirmative action plan to recruit and select apprentices fairly.

If you apply for an apprenticeship with a sponsor, you are entitled to a full and fair opportunity to apply. Under Federal Regulations, 29 CFR 30 and New York Regulations, Part 600, a sponsor must recruit and select apprentices without considering: race, gender, sex, age, disability, religion, national origin, political affiliation or belief, genetics, arrest and conviction record, marital status, genetic predisposition and carrier status, veteran status, or sexual orientation.

The sponsor must agree to apply the rules and regulations fairly to your conditions of apprenticeship, including:

• Wages
• Advancement
• Promotion
• Assignment of work
• Job performance
• Task rotation
• Training
• Related instruction
• All other aspects of the apprenticeship program

The sponsor agrees to post the Equal Employment Opportunity in Apprenticeship Training Regulations, Part 600.12 Complaint Procedure. All registered apprentices may use this complaint procedure.

DEOD has Division staff in Albany, Buffalo and New York to help you, if needed.

The Division of Equal Opportunity Development holds reviews to ensure compliance by the sponsor for each part of the apprentice program:

• Recruitment
• Selection
• All phases of the training

The Division conducts these reviews under Part 600.10 of the Regulations.

For details or help, please contact: 716-851-2768