Each National Occupational Framework (NOF) focuses on a specific occupation and includes the building blocks for designing apprenticeship programs. Subject matter experts for the occupations review the frameworks—including business, education, labor, workforce, academic, and association professionals—and the DOL approves them.

The frameworks outline the foundational requirements for how apprentices will learn their occupation and the basic elements needed to register an apprenticeship program. When submitting an apprenticeship for registration, information about the skills the apprentice will learn on the job and the related instruction is required.

This information is in what most registration agencies refer to as the registration package’s Appendix A. Two major elements of Appendix A include a work process schedule for on-the-job learning and an outline of off-the-job instruction.

Each framework contains three sections with information to define new programs or update or refine existing programs.