Commonwealth of Massachusetts Branding and Marketing Consultancy for Enhanced Messaging and Collateral Development for the Department of Apprenticeship Standards

Submission Deadline: o All proposals must be submitted by 4/4/24

Link: file:///C:/Users/cbettencourt/Downloads/PRF70-Marketing~1.pdf

Program Overview and Purpose

The Division of Apprentice Standards (DAS) is responsible for the oversight of registered apprenticeship programs in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Our goal is to connect people to high-demand job opportunities across the Commonwealth through equitable access to training and employers. A major focus of the Division is to grow and diversify registered apprenticeship opportunities across industry sectors and enhance our diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility practices and policies in our programming, outreach, apprenticeship program development and monitoring efforts.            

4. Project Overview

The Massachusetts Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) is inviting proposals from

experienced branding and marking consultants to make recommendations and create collateral to

enhance the messaging, content, and materials used by DAS. This work will assess the agency’s

ability and agility to influence, encourage, strengthen, and streamline the registration of

apprenticeship programs in the Commonwealth. The goal is to amplify a unified message and

efficiently promote Registered Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship Programs (RAP’s and

PAP’s) to industry stakeholders and prospective apprentices, along with messaging the

requirements of CFR 29 Part 29 and 29 Part 30 in registered apprenticeship.

The selected consultant will work with and across DAS Teams to create a seamless instructional

process for each employer desiring to set up a registered apprenticeship program. This will result

in a clear, efficient, and effective transition through the life cycle of apprenticeship with a

concrete understanding of the contributions and work of each DAS Team. This will also convey a

thorough apprenticeship program overview through exposure to content, training, and technical

assistance from the Division. The selected consultant will advise DAS Teams (Apprenticeship

Liaison, Operations, Quality Assurance and Grants Management) on ways to think about,

strategize on, and produce best practices and procedures to ease communication flow, create

step-by-step documentation for registration processes and subsequent program management

requirements for registered apprenticeship.

The selected consultant will play a crucial role in creating outreach content, crafting event

giveaways, designing flyers, developing presentations for potential sponsors, and assembling a

comprehensive Registered Apprenticeship Program Toolkit. This should include but is not

limited to detailed guidance for program registration, outreach activities within DAS in

published, easy-to read formatting and will be live on the DAS website. The tasks outlined in the

draft of this project scope must be finalized by June 26, 2024.

Scope of Work

 Review and Analysis:

o Evaluate existing DAS-branded marketing materials and compare them to other

state/territories/website inventory.

o Conduct a thorough analysis of the:

 Target audience focus groups

 Language and RAP terminology

 Stages and protocols within the lifecycle of MA RAP’s and PAP’s

 Current marketing materials

 Current presentations and associated scripts

 Current Apprentice Handbook

 Industry trends and focused pathways

 Competitive landscape

 Strategy Development:

o Collaborate with the DAS staff to develop a comprehensive marketing strategy.

o Define key messages and branding elements for a cohesive campaign.

o Create precise and understandable language as the Sponsor moves between

different phases within the DAS lifecycle in Registered Apprenticeship and PreApprenticeship models.

o Include DEIA initiatives and strategies throughout the work and include in all

messaging.

o Team roles/messaging to incorporate:

 Apprenticeship Liaison

 Office Operations

BD-24-1043-DAO01-32500-100015 Page 4 of 8

 Quality Assurance

 Grants Management

 Material Enhancement:

o Modify and enhance existing DAS-branded materials for consistency.

o Develop outreach content for various channels, including digital and print.

o Create engaging event giveaways and eye-catching flyers for future events.

o Offer explicit instructions on effective marketing and collateral materials.

o Examine the current Apprenticeship Handbook and suggest innovative

improvements.

 Registered Apprenticeship Program Toolkit:

o A comprehensive package tailored to effectively communicate the benefits and

requirements of sponsoring apprenticeship initiatives.

o The key components may include but are not limited to:

 Welcome Letter

 Apprentice Handbook

 Benefits Brochure

 Program Overview Presentation

 Success Stories

 Customizable Marketing Collateral

 ROI Analysis Document

 Training and Support Resources

 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 Contact Directory

 Legal and Compliance Guidelines

 Event Invitations

 Program Standards, policies, and regulations

 DAS and licensing regulations and requirements

 RTI/ OJT

 Apprentice grievance and awarding prior credit procedures

 Process checklists, etc.

 DAS Landing Page:

o Develop concise and engaging presentations targeting potential sponsors,

providing step-by-step guidance on program registration and engagement

opportunities.

o Offer explicit instructions on effective presentation materials.

o Advise on consistency and uniformity across Team processes.

 Presentations for Sponsors:

o Develop concise and engaging presentations targeting potential sponsors,

providing step-by-step guidance on program registration and engagement

opportunities.

o Offer explicit instructions on effective presentation materials.