On Wednesday, the House Committee on Education and Labor’s Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment held a hearing on reauthorizing the National Apprenticeship Act. The hearing coincided with Subcommittee Chairwoman Susan Davis (D-CA) releasing a proposed reauthorization of the law.
Witnesses included Tiffany Robinson, the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Labor; Dr. Morna Foy, the President of the Wisconsin Technical College System; Jace Noteboom, the Talent Director for IBM Systems; and Daniel Bustillo, the Executive Director of the Healthcare Career Advancement Program.
Chairwoman Davis outlined the reauthorization proposal as focusing on three main elements: (1) making historic investments in apprenticeships to create and expand registered apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships, (2) authorizing a dedicated annual funding stream to states through a new formula fund for state apprenticeship agencies, and (3) streamlining the process for registering apprenticeship programs while still maintaining high-quality standards for apprenticeship agreements. The subcommittee’s ranking member, Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), spoke about the many viable pathways to good careers, the stigma around skills-based education and President Trump’s Pledge to America’s Workers.
In terms of testimony, Ms. Robinson noted that in Maryland, nontraditional apprenticeship programs in areas like healthcare, IT, hospitality and transportation are increasing. She also identified the lack of consistent, sustained federal funding for apprenticeships as a challenge. Additionally, she advocated for extending the lifespan of federal apprenticeship grants to four years, and ensuring they remain flexible. Dr. Foy stressed the importance of aligning apprenticeships with formal instruction, and highlighted the role that community colleges play in apprenticeships. She also noted that apprenticeships aren’t just for workforce development, but are also a path to postsecondary attainment.
Ms. Noteboom called attention to IBM’s view that the United States is producing an insufficient number of graduates with both technical and employability skills. She also testified that articulation agreements between community colleges and 4-year institutions could be stronger. Specifically, she identified four challenges to address: (1) the complexity of apprenticeship program implementation, (2) apprenticeship funding, (3) obstacles in the Higher Education Act that stand in the way of preparing students for apprenticeships, including restrictions on short-term programs and Federal Work Study, and (4) barriers to extending the pre-apprenticeship model.
Mr. Bustillo highlighted impressive statistics regarding participation by women, people of color and people with disabilities in his program. He also made specific recommendations, including that Congress should (1) support partnerships, (2) embrace wrap-around services (e.g., childcare, transportation, etc.), (3) recognize that worksite changes will require more earn and learn opportunities, and (4) continue efforts to support transparency and efficiency in the registration process.
While not a focus of the hearing, some contention around the proposed reauthorization has emerged surrounding the extent to which industry recognized apprenticeship programs (IRAPs) should be included. Proponents argue IRAPs offer the opportunity to drastically scale apprenticeship programs and offer greater opportunities for students to participate in apprenticeships, while their detractors worry the quality of apprenticeships would be threatened if not done through the Department of Labor’s registration process.
You can watch the full hearing here. Additionally, you can read the proposed bill text and fact sheet. ACTE will continue to monitor these developments closely and provide updates on the CTE Policy Watch Blog.
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