Part 3: “You’re approved. Now the real work begins".

So you made it through compliance, tech, and curriculum.
You’re officially on the ETPL.
Now you just need students, funding, and flawless reporting.

Sounds easy — until you realize there are 400+ schools listed next to you.

• Step 1: Activate your ETPL profile

  Every board has its own portal where you upload:

  • Tuition rates

  • Course hours

  • Description copy (often limited to 255 characters)

  • Employer partners

  • Start dates

  If your profile isn’t optimized with keywords like Heavy Machine Technician — ASE Certified, counselors will skip right past you.

  Step 2: Build relationships with case managers

  Funding doesn’t come from the board; it comes through network and community partners who control referrals.
  They only send students to schools they trust.

  That means:

  • Visiting workforce centers

  • city events

  • Attending job fairs

  • Following up weekly

  • Providing success stories

  Most schools think “being approved” means they’ll get students automatically.
  It doesn’t.
  You have to earn every referral.

  Step 3: Handle your first student

  Once referred, you’ll submit:

  • Training authorization form

  • Attendance logs

  • Midterm evaluation

  • Completion certificate

  Payments don’t arrive until the case manager closes the file — often 30–45 days after completion.

  If you didn’t budget for that gap, you’re stuck waiting on your first $7K-10k check.

  Step 4: Stay compliant

  Every quarter, you’ll need to submit:

  • Completion rates

  • Employment outcomes

  • Retention data

  Miss one report, and your ETPL status can be suspended.
  It’s not “one and done” — it’s continuous compliance.

  Step 5: Expand intelligently

  Once your first program is running smoothly, you can add more courses — but each one needs a new approval packet.
  That’s why most schools stay small.
  The paperwork multiplies.

Summary:

If you are an employer and want to attach a school to your business, then reply to this email.