Business Services Consultant Apprenticeship (BSCA)
Apprenticeship Program Details
The Business Services Consultant Apprenticeship (BSCA) curriculum, which includes On-the-Job Learning (OJL) and Related Instruction (RI), has been developed with input from leaders and practitioners within the Workforce and Economic Development industries to ensure its fidelity and applicable value in the field. Those that successfully complete the training and demonstrate their competence through their documented application of knowledge will earn their certification while raising the professional standards for Business Services across the country.
TAD Grants has provided Business Services Consultant training to 500 workforce and economic development professionals across 12 states since 2016. With approximately 2500 federally funded American Job Centers (AJC) across the country, TAD Grants has developed strong partnerships with local and state workforce development boards (and related AJCs) in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida, and Texas. These relationships, along with the 500 certified Business Services Consultants trained within these states, have positioned TAD Grants to exceed the establishment of 20 Business Services Consultants Apprenticeships in two years as required by the Department of Labor. Utilizing TAD Grants’ existing relationships and strong partnerships across the states that have already acknowledged the importance of formalized education and training for Business Services Consultants to establish the first 20+ apprenticeships, TAD Grants will perform targeted outreach and marketing to the remaining states to ensure that the Business Services Consultant Apprenticeships are nationally recognized and available across the country.
This apprenticeship lends itself to a national model as American Jobs Centers and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act-funded programs have specific standards and programming implemented in every state and territory.
TAD Grants' Mission
The Business Services Consultant Apprenticeship proposed by TAD Grants will provide practitioners and direct service professionals in the fields of workforce development and economic development with a formalized learning framework designed to enhance their level of skill. It will also provide them with an industry-recognized credential and legitimize a scope of practice that has long been critical to the successful delivery of state and federally funded workforce and economic development services across the country. Today more than ever, highly trained, and well-equipped Business Services Consultants are needed to bridge the gap between government services and programs and business and industry.
TAD Grants Background
Since 2008, TAD Grants has provided high-quality services to organizations and businesses nationwide. TAD Grants’ primary focus and expertise lies in grant writing services, technical assistance coaching, program evaluation and reporting, organizational training solutions, and strategic planning services. To maximize effectiveness, TAD Grants strives to build long-term relationships with those that we serve. Our wraparound services, ongoing consultation, and follow-up programs have proven to equip our clients with the tools they need to meet and exceed their desired outcomes.
Organizations that have effectively utilized TAD Grants services include federally funded Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (WIOA) service providers and their partners; national and community-based non-profit organizations; governmental agencies (including veterans services and tribal agencies); and local businesses and industry.
The Related Instruction Component
The Related Instruction component of the apprenticeship consists of approximately 144 hours of instructor-led training, which is made up of two distinct training programs: the Business Services Consultant training program, which can result in a credential (Certified Business Services Consultant or CBSC), and the Facilitating Career Development training program (WCDC version), which can also result in additional credentials (Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP), Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF), Certified Workforce Development Professional (CWDP). The on-the-job learning will consist of approximately 2,000 hours of employment in a supervised business-facing role at a workforce development or economic development-related business, including contractors who provide services at the state and/or federally funded Americas Jobs Centers, non-profits who provide WIOA-funded services to job seekers and businesses in their community, educational institutions who offer career services and/or engage with businesses to inform service delivery, curriculum, learning opportunities, and job placement services to students, staffing agencies and recruiting companies, etc. OJL will be observed by direct supervisors with guidance, oversight, and administration provided by the apprenticeship sponsor, TAD Grants.
The Business Service Consultant Apprenticeship will equip Workforce Development Professionals, Economic Developers, and Education and Training Professionals with the skills and strategies they need to deliver high-quality, customer-focused Business Services. Built upon the demand-driven system, this apprenticeship is designed to provide trainees with a step-by-step approach to addressing the core needs of businesses, including recruiting, onboarding, training, and retaining employees. Apprentices will be able to facilitate impactful referrals that connect businesses to the assets and resources available throughout their communities, regions, and states while guiding businesses in the discovery of the principles of career pathways and the development and implementation of career pathways within their own organizations. Additional areas of training include linkages and promotion of the workforce system; business engagement; collaboration between business and industry, education, and workforce development; talent pipeline development; labor market information and resources; and the dual customer and demand-driven approach to workforce and economic development.
Our nation’s recovery from the global pandemic needs well-trained, experienced, and competent Business Services practitioners. These practitioners, or apprentices, will support the unemployed and underemployed in their quest to obtain a good-paying job with opportunities for growth. They’ll serve as a lifeline to businesses that are looking to add capacity to meet post-pandemic demand but might be struggling to connect to a qualified talent pool. Business Services Consultant apprentices will also serve as guides for both job seekers and employers as they work to navigate through a variety of state and federally funded workforce development initiatives, ensuring that our nation’s communities are utilizing all of the tools that are available to support a vibrant economy and a great quality of life.