The U.S. Department of Labor announced on December 14th a notice of proposed rule making to enhance the National Apprenticeship System by modernizing regulations for Registered Apprenticeships that has been widely celebrated by those in the union world. The Registered Apprenticeship system is often heavily interwoven with organized labor, something that is irking to those who run predatory apprenticeship programs.
The proposed rule would include the following enhancements:
- Strengthening of labor standards, quality and worker protections by making occupational skills and training more portable, enhancing alignment with postsecondary education and providing better performance data.
- Better defining roles for State Apprenticeship Agencies and other stakeholders within the National Apprenticeship System.
- Codifies the Office of Apprenticeship’s role for national leadership, promotion and standards.
- Promoting apprenticeship pathways, including pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship readiness programs, by expanding performance and data requirements to improve accountability, transparency and program outcomes.
- Creating a student-centric model of Registered Apprenticeship, called Registered Career and Technical Education Apprenticeship designed to make them more seamless for full-time high school and community college students to enroll in a Registered Apprenticeship. This approach is modeled after high-quality youth apprenticeship systems in states across the country.
“Equity and job quality have marked the most successful Registered Apprenticeship programs for workers and employers alike. This proposed rule codifies the Department of Labor’s strong commitment to these principles,” explained Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “Importantly, the proposed changes will also provide strong worker protections, improved employer experiences and greater clarity about the roles of federal and state governments and their partners in the National Apprenticeship System.”
The proposal also affirms Registered Apprenticeship as the proven, gold-standard earn-and-learn model for increasing earnings and getting workers into good-paying jobs in many industries; promotes enhanced accountability and transparency; and places added focus on data and outcomes. In addition, the proposed changes reinforce the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, and extend worker protections for apprentices across the industry sectors now benefiting from Registered Apprenticeships.
Anti-union politicians have already heavily come out in opposition to the program. The Biden administration understands that they have lined up an enormous amount of work for the years to come and that the United States simply does not have the workforce or the infrastructure to build the workforce without tapping into the union world.
The next update for this plan will come in several months when it is finalized. The new rule would take steps to create a more uniform system, and bolster the ability for high school and community college students to smoothly transition into an apprenticeship.
Tristin Amezcua-Hogan is the Editor of The Labor Beacon and a member of LIUNA Local 264. Tristin also serves as the Director of Communications for the Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO and the Chair of the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance.
Tristin grew up as the son of a UA Local 669 member in Tecumseh, KS and the great-nephew of George C. Amis, longtime leader of the United Rubberworkers (now USW Local 307) in Kansas. Growing up in rural Kansas as the child of teen parents, Tristin quickly came to appreciate the life-changing benefit of a union job.
Tristin and his partner, Rebeca Amezcua-Hogan, are residents of the Westside, Kansas City, MO's historic Mexican neighborhood. They are proud members of Kansas City's New Reform Temple.
