Apprenticeships: Good Faith Exceptions
Good Faith Exceptions (GFEs) apply when a contractor makes documented efforts to comply with PWA apprenticeship requirements but is unable to secure apprentices. It provides protection from penalties or loss of tax credits, provided that all outreach and hiring attempts are thoroughly recorded to demonstrate compliance.
Table of Contents:
Navigate to Good Faith Exceptions
Good Faith Exceptions apply at the job level.
To navigate to the "Good Faith Effort Exceptions" dashboard, start by clicking on the relevant job card. Then, click the "Compliance" tab from the sub-navigation bar near the top of the page. Next, click the "Apprenticeships" tab from the menu on the left side of the page.
Click the "Jump to Good Faith Exceptions" button near the top right of the page or scroll to the bottom of the page to find the "Good Faith Effort Exceptions" dashboard.
See the video below for a demonstration:
How to Add a Good Faith Exception
A Good Faith Exception can be added in two distinct ways, depending on the circumstances that apply.
Apprenticeship Program Unavailable
In the event that there is no local apprenticeship program for the required trades, then a Good Faith Exception is automatically available. This must be properly documented to qualify for a Good Faith Exception.
To add this type of Good Faith Exception, click the "+ Program Unavailable" button (indicated by the red box in the image below).
This will open the "New Unavailable Program Exception" form (pictured below). There are several fields within this form.
- Start Date (Required)
- Enter the date when the requested apprenticeship period is scheduled to begin. This defines the start of the timeframe for which apprentices would have been employed.
- End Date (Required)
- Enter the date when the requested apprenticeship period is scheduled to end.
- Number of Apprentices (Required)
- Specify the total number of apprentices that would have been employed for the project.
- Hours per Apprentice (Required)
- Provide the number of hours each apprentice was expected to work during the project.
- Requested Date (Optional)
- Indicate the date the request for apprentices was submitted to a registered apprenticeship program.
- Proof of No Available Program (Optional, but encouraged)
- Upload documentation showing that no registered apprenticeship program was available for the requested occupation or geographic area.
After filling out all required fields, click the "Save" button to add the Good Faith Exception.
See the video below for a demonstration:
Standard Good Faith Exception
If all available apprenticeship programs for the trade/geographic area deny a contractor's request for apprentices (or fail to respond within 5 business days), then a Good Faith Exception is granted.
To add this type of Good Faith Exception, click the "+ New Good Faith Effort Exception" button (indicated by the red box in the image below).
This will open the "New Good Faith Exception" form (pictured below). There are several fields within this form.
- Start Date (Required):
- Enter the date when the requested apprenticeship period is scheduled to begin. This defines the start of the timeframe for which apprentices would have been employed.
- End Date (Required):
- Enter the date when the requested apprenticeship period is scheduled to end.
- Number of Apprentices (Required):
- Specify the total number of apprentices that would have been employed for the project.
- Number of Apprentices Provided (Required):
- The number of apprentices provided by the apprenticeship program.
- Hours per Apprentice (Required):
- Provide the number of hours each apprentice was expected to work during the project.
- Response (Required):
- The response status from the apprenticeship program.
- Options include: No Response, Denied, and Partial
- Program Name (Optional):
- The name of the apprenticeship program
- Occupation (Optional):
- The occupation (i.e. trade) that the contractor reached out to the apprenticeship program about.
- Requested Date (Optional):
- Indicate the date the request for apprentices was submitted to a registered apprenticeship program.
- Request Letter (Optional):
- An upload documenting the request letter sent to the apprenticeship program.
- Response Letter (Optional):
- An upload documenting the response letter sent from the apprenticeship program.
- Proof of Submission (Optional):
- An upload documenting proof that the request was made to the appropriate apprenticeship program(s).
After filling out all required fields, click the "Save" button to add the Good Faith Exception.
See the video below for a demonstration:
