Sponsors (2)
The bill meaningfully expands access to apprenticeships and funds employer incentives and supports—helping students, underserved groups, and employers—while creating new federal costs, administrative burdens, and rules that may exclude non‑registered or locally tailored training programs and favor larger intermediaries.
Students and young adults (including disconnected youth and those in high-poverty or rural schools) gain substantially expanded access to registered apprenticeships and pre‑apprenticeship pathways, increasing direct pathways to careers.
Employers and intermediaries receive financial supports (including up to 50% wage subsidies and other assistance), lowering hiring costs and encouraging employer participation in apprenticeship programs.
Students and participating youth gain stronger pipelines into high‑need occupations (building trades, health care, teaching, tech, manufacturing), improving job prospects in sectors with labor demand.
Taxpayers face increased federal spending because the bill authorizes new funding with unspecified costs ('such sums as may be necessary'), creating long‑term appropriation obligations.
Students and local communities risk exclusion when statutory rules limit funded apprenticeships to registered programs or a specified list of occupations, potentially leaving out informal, non‑registered, or locally needed training pathways.
Small community intermediaries and rural partners may be disadvantaged because a competitive contract/grant model tends to favor larger organizations with grant-writing capacity, concentrating funds with bigger intermediaries.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Directs DOL to award competitive contracts to industry intermediaries to expand apprenticeships for secondary students, prioritizing high-need populations and funding training, supports, and up to 50% of wages.
Official title: Direct the Secretary of Labor to enter into contracts with industry intermediaries for purposes of promoting the development of and access to apprenticeships and related pre-apprenticeships for secondary school students.
Introduced January 23, 2025 by Martin Heinrich · Last progress January 23, 2025
Creates a federal program to contract with industry intermediaries to develop and expand registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship pipelines for secondary school students. The Department of Labor, working with the Department of Education, will competitively award contracts prioritizing high-need schools and populations and may fund recruitment, training, wraparound supports, equipment, and up to half of an apprentice’s wages. The measure authorizes whatever sums are necessary to implement the program.