Strategic Apprenticeship Facilitator for High School Apprenticeships

The South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR) is seeking a qualified partner to serve as a Strategic Apprenticeship Facilitator (Facilitator) to build long-term state and local capacity for expanding apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship pathways for high school students across South Dakota. The primary purpose of this engagement is to lead and manage the state’s pre-selected pilot cohort of school districts in launching high-quality pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeships in high school, while co-designing a comprehensive framework that supports both pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) for high school students. Over this multi-year initiative, the Facilitator will lead consecutive cohort cycles of school districts, applying continuous learning to scale the program’s reach and impact. The selected Facilitator will act as a central coordinator and implementation partner. Key responsibilities include convening the cohort, serving as a communication conduit between the participating schools and state agencies, and facilitating the ongoing alignment of work-based learning terminology across state agencies and workforce partners. To ensure broad opportunity, the Facilitator will function as an objective, neutral broker; connecting schools to a diverse network of trusted third-party training, academic, and business service providers. Throughout the project lifecycle, the facilitator will continuously gather insights from the cohort cycles to design a replicable expansion blueprint, provide expert recommendations for future state policy, and create a communications plan to mobilize local program champions. As part of these future-state policy recommendations, the Facilitator will help lay the groundwork for long-term innovation. This includes exploring how work-based learning data and student competencies might eventually align with emerging digital systems, such as a statewide talent marketplace, as partnerships with education and agency stakeholders continue to evolve. Together, these efforts will build a sustainable, modern foundation for apprenticeship experiences for high school students in South Dakota. Offerors may email inquiries concerning this RFP to obtain clarification of requirements. No inquiries will be accepted after the date and time indicated in the Schedule of Activities. Inquiries must be emailed to Caitlin Kemnitz at contact@example.gov with the subject line “RFP #26RFP21251”. The State will respond to offeror’s inquiries (if required) via e-mail. In addition, all inquiries and the State’s response will be posted on the state’s e-procurement system. Offerors may not rely on any other statements, either of a written or oral nature, that alter any specification or other term or condition of this RFP. Offerors will be notified in the same manner as indicated above regarding any modifications to this RFP.