For workers, apprenticeships provide an opportunity to stay in the labor market, earn a living wage, and pursue a nationally-recognized credential, making apprenticeships one of the most-cost effective workforce development tools; For employers, apprenticeships provide a custom trained workforce, reduced turnover, and improved safety outcomes, giving American businesses an edge in the global marketplace


Though evidence indicates that the apprenticeship model is a highly effective training model, it is not widely used by American workers or employers; In order to expand and support registered apprenticeships, the American Apprenticeship Act would provide funding to states for the creation or expansion of tuition assistance programs that benefit participants in pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs  

 

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have introduced legislation to create and expand tuition assistance programs for participants in apprenticeship programs. For workers, apprenticeships provide an opportunity to stay in the labor market, earn a living wage, and pursue a nationally-recognized credential, making apprenticeships one of the most cost-effective workforce development tools. For employers, apprenticeships provide a custom trained workforce, reduced turnover, and improved safety outcomes, giving American businesses an edge in the global marketplace. Though evidence indicates that the apprenticeship model is a highly effective training model, it is not widely used by American workers or employers. In order to expand and support registered apprenticeships, the American Apprenticeship Act would provide funding to states for the creation or expansion of tuition assistance programs that benefit participants in pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs.

“We have businesses that need workers and workers that need jobs, but oftentimes, their skills just aren’t matching up. In my home state of Minnesota, more than 70 percent of our manufacturers said it was difficult for them to find workers with the right skills and experience,” Klobuchar said. “Our bipartisan bill would create and strengthen tuition programs for those who participate in pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs to help more of our workers bridge that skills gap. By investing in the development of the workforce of the future, this legislation will make American businesses and workers more competitive in today’s global economy.”

“Few issues are as important to the American people as the availability of good jobs in our communities,” Senator Collins said. “I have met with many business owners in Maine who have jobs available but cannot find qualified and trained workers to fill these vacant positions.  By helping to expand tuition assistance and making apprenticeship programs more accessible and affordable, our legislation will help Americans gain in-demand skills and obtain good-paying jobs.”

This legislation has been endorsed by the Center for American Progress and the Center for Law and Social Policy.

“Apprenticeships offer a pathway to good jobs that pay middle-class wages. Research shows that the average starting salary for a worker who completes an apprenticeship is $50,000,” Carmel Martin, Executive Vice President of Policy at the Center for American Progress, said. “The American Apprenticeships Act will encourage state investment in apprenticeships, help expand access to apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs—particularly for individuals facing barriers to employment—and will promote strategic planning at the state and federal levels in an effort to increase the use of apprenticeship within a broad range of industries and occupations. The bill would help to ensure that workers have access to training opportunities that lead to economic security.”

The American Apprenticeship Act would:

  • Recognize that states play a pivotal role in elevating and expanding Registered Apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships as workforce solutions
  • Authorize the Department of Labor to award competitive grants to states that have developed effective strategies to diversify, market, and scale Registered Apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs.
  • Authorize states to utilize grant funds to assist participants in pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs in obtaining industry-relevant classroom instruction.
  • Require the Department of Labor to analyze the use of apprenticeships in in-demand occupations.

Klobuchar has long supported efforts to help workers succeed in an increasingly specialized workforce while making the country’s economy more competitive. Klobuchar helped pass the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act in June 2014, which included her bipartisan provision to help match the skills of workers with the needs of local employers. The provision established competitive grants for partnerships that help provide workers with the skills needed to fill vacancies in up-and-coming industries. She also led bipartisan legislation with Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), the Innovate America Act, which would fund 100 new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-focused high schools and help ensure workers have the skills they need for today’s competitive global economy. 

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