Sponsors (42)
Introduced December 15, 2025 by David Scott · Last progress December 15, 2025
The bill aims to expand and better align apprenticeship opportunities for underrepresented and underserved populations and to support employers and states in building pipelines — but it raises implementation, administrative, legal, and funding risks that could limit effectiveness or concentrate benefits if not carefully funded and managed.
Racial and ethnic minority, low-income, and young jobseekers will gain expanded access to apprenticeships, outreach, mentoring, and support services, increasing their chances of completing programs and obtaining stable employment.
Students and training participants — including those at minority-serving and Tribal institutions — will face clearer pathways between education/credentials and registered apprenticeships because more provider types are eligible and program alignment is supported.
Employers and industry sectors (construction, IT, healthcare, manufacturing, green energy, etc.) and state apprenticeship agencies receive technical assistance and partnership support to build pipelines of qualified workers and improve program administration.
Employers, state apprenticeship agencies, and grantees — especially small programs — will face additional administrative, compliance, and reporting burdens (including race/ethnicity-disaggregated metrics) that could raise costs and discourage participation.
Targeted, race-specific outreach requirements and race-disaggregated reporting create legal and fairness risks that could prompt challenges or controversy if not carefully implemented within civil rights law.
Funding in the bill is authorized but not appropriated; programs may not actually receive money if Congress does not appropriate the authorized amounts, undermining promised services.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Creates a new Diversity and Inclusion Administrator within the Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship, requires entities applying to register or renew registered apprenticeships to submit plans to increase African-American participation, and authorizes competitive grants to expand diversity in apprenticeship programs. The bill defines eligible grantees and program terms, requires grantee reporting with race/ethnicity-disaggregated metrics, sets an effective date of April 22, 2026, and authorizes (but does not appropriate) $2M–$5M per year for FY2026–FY2029 to carry out the law. The measure focuses on increasing participation of African Americans and other nontraditional apprenticeship populations in traditional and nontraditional apprenticeable industries (construction, IT, health care, energy, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, etc.). It creates administrative, application, and reporting requirements for apprenticeship sponsors, training providers, State registration agencies, and grantees, but does not specify appointment, pay, or detailed implementation procedures for the new position or appropriate the authorized funds.