On April 25, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) joined a bipartisan group of Congressmembers to introduce legislation to expand apprenticeships across the country.
The National Apprenticeship Act of 2023 would invest more than $3.8 billion over the next five years to create nearly one million new apprenticeships, officials said. The bill would help scale up apprenticeship opportunities, streamline access to apprenticeships for workers and employers, and expand apprenticeships into new and in-demand industry sectors and occupations.
“Apprenticeship programs create the opportunity to grow our economy, prepare workers for in-demand careers, and address the trained workforce shortage,” Fitzpatrick said. “I am proud to lead a bipartisan coalition introducing the National Apprenticeship Act, which will provide much-needed reinforcement and reauthorization of our registered apprenticeship programs and will aim to create one million new apprentice positions in the next five years.”
The bill previously passed the House in 2021. The legislation will expand the national apprenticeship system to include youth apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships, as well as further the labor standards necessary to protect apprentices. The legislation is co-sponsored by more than 30 Congressmembers on both sides of the aisle.
The bill is also supported by the North America’s Building Trades Union (NABTU).
“We are pleased with today’s bipartisan introduction of the National Apprenticeship Act of 2023. Registered Apprenticeship is the gold standard of all workforce development models. Our unions are living proof of its success as we have trained and graduated millions of men and women from these programs and into middle-class careers in construction,” NABTU President Sean McGarvey said. “Now is the time to strengthen and expand Registered Apprenticeship into other industries, for both blue and white collar jobs, who need to recruit and retain a well-trained workforce. We look forward to working with Republicans and Democrats to move and pass this timely legislation.”