09.05.18

By:  Andrew Wallender
Source: Bloomberg BNA

Apprenticeship Programs Need Accountability, House Dems Say

House Democrats cautioned Republicans that industry-created apprenticeships aren’t a replacement for the Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship program.

The remarks came at a Sept. 5 subcommittee hearing on rebuilding the workforce that looks at how the 2014 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act affected apprenticeships.

“We must ensure that while encouraging industry input in apprenticeships, there is also accountability to taxpayers, apprentices, and businesses,” Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.) said. “I agree with experts who are concerned about efforts to invest taxpayer dollars into programs that lack protections for students and their families.”

A DOL appropriations bill under consideration would for the first time fund apprenticeships that wouldn’t be vetted by the department, according to Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.).

The current federal apprenticeship program requires participating companies to adhere to standards set by the National Apprenticeship Act. That law mandates progressively increasing wages and requires a written plan that sets the terms and conditions for employment. Apprentices receive a nationally recognized credential that serves as proof of occupational proficiency upon completion of their programs.

Apprenticeship funding has bipartisan support, but some Republicans say that registered apprenticeships involve too much bureaucracy.

Too Much Bureaucracy?

Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) expressed concern that meddling by lawmakers will curtail recruitment efforts.

“Industry leaders know what skills are needed in their workers, and Washington should not stand in the way of innovative apprenticeship programs just because they do not fit in a specific bureaucratic box,” Banks said.

The tight job market is forcing apprenticeship programs to identify potential apprentices earlier and in underemployed populations, such as disabled people and those recently released from incarceration, witnesses said.

“We want to engage varied populations as much as possible,” B.J. Dernbach of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development said at the hearing. “Obviously, the talent pipeline in Wisconsin and a lot of other states is getting a lot smaller.”

Skip College?

Better student education and recruitment is also needed to increase the number of apprentices. Many guidance counselors lack the knowledge and incentive to promote vocational careers, according to Carol Reynolds, the founder of a Kentucky-based electrical contracting business.

“A significant emphasis has been placed on young people obtaining a bachelor’s degree, and a career in the trades is rarely discussed as an option,” Reynolds said.

Congressional committees have hosted a number of other hearings focused on apprenticeships this year, including a House Small Business subcommittee hearing in March and a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions full committee hearing in July.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in July that in part orders administration officials to work with Congress in expanding the use of industry-recognized credentials and apprenticeships.