Employer Participation Agreement Form FAQs

Who receives the Employer Participation Agreement forms and what does the review process entail?

These forms are reviewed and approved by the IWGA Apprenticeship Training Committee. Once approved, the forms get sent to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Apprenticeship’s State Director. They file these agreement forms and return copies to us to keep on record. You will receive notification within 45 days of your completed registration into the IWGA Registered Apprenticeship Program.

I’m completing the Employer Participation Agreement Form, how do I fill out the “Mentor Wage” section?  

The apprentice is to be paid an increasing amount over the course of their employment in order to reflect increased responsibilities and experience. Please note: The amount you record in this field and pay your apprentices cannot decrease through the duration of this apprentice’s employment, should you decide to hire an additional apprentice during this time. Once the apprentice has completed the program and received his or her Cellar Worker/Wine Maker certification, you are able to resubmit the Employer Participation Agreement for each subsequent apprentice. This amount is also required to be no lower than the current minimum wage. For further explanation, see SECTION 6: APPRENTICESHIP WAGE PROGRESSION on pages 18 & 25 of the IWGA Standards of Apprenticeship. 

For the purpose of the IWGA registered apprenticeship program, a “mentor” is the actual winemaker of the sponsoring employer’s business or someone who is deemed a “qualified worker”. This person must have sufficient skills and knowledge of the cellar worker and wine making roles through a formal apprentice program or through a combination of practical on-the-job experience and education/training. Once an apprentice receives their certification through the IWGA registered apprenticeship program, they could be considered a “mentor” to any future apprentices you enroll in this program. For further explanation, see DEFINITIONS on PAGE 14 in the IWGA Standards of Apprenticeship.