Sponsors (2)
The bill expands and funds registered apprenticeship pathways and supports for low‑income, rural, secondary, and disconnected youth and strengthens employer engagement and program quality, but it may exclude unregistered training models and some at‑risk individuals, impose administrative burdens, and require increased public spending and employer commitments.
Students and young adults (including disconnected and secondary students, especially in low-income or rural areas) gain expanded access to paid pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship pathways in high‑need fields, creating more direct career options while in or just after school.
Low-income participants receive financial supports (tuition, books, tools, PPE, technology) plus wraparound services (transportation, childcare, tutoring, benefit counseling) that reduce cost and logistical barriers to staying in and completing apprenticeship programs.
Employers and defined industry intermediaries get funding and clearer statutory roles to recruit, train, and support apprentices, lowering employer costs and helping scale employer engagement through public–private partnerships.
Some at‑risk students and young adults may be left out because the bill narrows the definition of “disconnected youth” (six months out of work/school) and prioritizes certain geographies, producing uneven coverage for those who recently lost jobs or live outside priority areas.
Tying program eligibility and roles to multiple statutory references and relying on competitive contracts and intermediary capacity creates administrative complexity and uneven rollout, burdening local partners and leaving weaker regions with fewer resources.
Limiting apprenticeships and pre‑apprenticeships to programs registered under the National Apprenticeship Act could exclude informal, newer, or unregistered training models and providers, restricting options for some learners and small employers.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Requires DOL to competitively contract with industry intermediaries to expand registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships for secondary students and priority groups, funding supports and up to half of apprentice wages.
Introduced January 23, 2025 by Martin Heinrich · Last progress January 23, 2025
Requires the Department of Labor, with the Department of Education's input, to competitively contract with industry intermediaries to expand access to registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships for secondary students and other priority groups. Contracts may fund development of apprenticeships in high-need fields, recruitment, training, employer engagement, supports (including childcare and financial incentives), goods and services, and up to 50% of apprentice wages; funding is authorized as "such sums as may be necessary."