Sponsors
The bill channels federal dollars to expand and prioritize Job Corps residential construction training and employer incentives—boosting entry and apprenticeships in the trades—while increasing federal spending, risking displacement of other training areas, and imposing administrative burdens on small employers.
Job Corps and state training programs receive $200 million in FY2026 to expand residential construction training, employer incentives, and updated curricula, enabling the program to serve more trainees and scale workforce capacity.
Young adults and unemployed workers in Job Corps gain prioritized, hands-on residential construction training (carpentry, plumbing, electrical, masonry, HVAC), improving near-term job prospects in in-demand trades.
Job Corps participants gain clearer pathways into registered apprenticeships through partnerships with large trade associations, improving long-term career advancement and earnings potential.
All taxpayers ultimately fund the $200 million in new FY2026 spending, increasing federal outlays for a targeted industry program.
Job Corps participants in other trades may face reduced access to slots or resources because the bill prioritizes residential construction training, potentially crowding out other career pathways.
The $5,000 hiring incentive may be insufficient to cover recruitment, onboarding, and retention costs for many employers, limiting the effectiveness of the subsidy in attracting hires.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Prioritizes Job Corps residential construction training, creates a $5,000 hire-and-retain grant for firms that hire Job Corps grads, requires apprenticeship partnerships, and authorizes $200M for FY2026.
Introduced January 27, 2026 by Janelle S. Bynum · Last progress January 27, 2026
Directs the Department of Labor to expand Job Corps training in residential construction trades, creates a hiring-and-retention grant for residential builders who hire Job Corps graduates, requires industry apprenticeship partnerships and regular curriculum updates, and authorizes $200 million for FY2026 to support these actions. The bill sets a one-year deadline to establish the grant program and ties grant eligibility to hiring a graduate within six months and retaining them for 12 consecutive months.