Biden Administration Takes Steps to Bolster Apprenticeships in Advance of Potential Infrastructure Investments

The Biden Administration has released a Fact Sheet on the steps it is taking to bolster registered apprenticeships. The Administration believes registered apprenticeship programs are vital to training Americans and equipping them with the in-demand skills for good-paying jobs. The announcement came in advance of a meeting between President Biden, Vice President Harris, and a group of labor leaders to discuss the American Rescue Plan and to get input on the President’s infrastructure plan.
 
With a major infrastructure expected to be taken up this Congress, the Administration is readying itself by expanding registered apprenticeship programs so that more Americans have the skills they need to take advantage of what the Administration is calling good-paying jobs provided by unions.
 
Specifically, the President is taking action to:

• Reaffirm his commitment to expanding registered apprenticeships to reward work, rebuild the middle-class, and connect a diverse workforce to family-supporting, living wage jobs. 
• Reinstate the National Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships. President Biden believes that the voice of workers must be central to the development of strategies to rebuild the economy of the future.
• Reverse industry recognized apprenticeship programs (IRAPs), which threaten to undermine registered apprenticeship programs.

To learn more about each of these initiatives, please visit: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/02/17/fact-sheet-biden-administration-to-take-steps-to-bolster-registered-apprenticeships/.