Sponsors (36)
Creates two grant programs funding outreach and student supports for construction- and manufacturing-oriented registered apprenticeship colleges; caps awards at $500K and authorizes $5M/year for each program for FY2026–2030.
The bill provides targeted federal funding and structured supports to expand and diversify construction and manufacturing apprenticeship pathways—improving access, retention, and local hiring—while relying on modest appropriations, per-award caps, accreditation requirements, and administrative rules that may limit scale and favor better-resourced organizations.
Students from rural, first-generation, minority, nontraditional, and students with disabilities gain expanded outreach, targeted recruitment, and wraparound supports (ESL, mentoring, advising, childcare, mental health/SUD services) that increase enrollment, retention, and completion in construction and manufacturing apprenticeships.
Local employers—especially small businesses in rural, exurban, and suburban areas—gain stronger local hiring pipelines as the bill funds outreach and employer engagement, helping fill skilled-trades gaps and create more job opportunities.
The bill authorizes dedicated federal funding ($5M/year, FY2026–2030) to support apprenticeship outreach, student supports, and pipeline development, creating a predictable, targeted federal investment in these workforce pathways.
The program's modest total authorization and $500,000 per-award caps limit scale and make it difficult to support large, statewide, or multi-site intermediaries, constraining the initiative's ability to address nationwide skill shortages.
The $5M/year authorization is new federal spending paid by taxpayers and could displace other federal priorities.
Accreditation and postsecondary-credential/transferable-credit requirements (including references to Title IV accreditation) may exclude smaller apprenticeship sponsors or programs that don't offer college credit, imposing administrative and financial burdens and reducing training options.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Official title: To authorize funding to expand and support enrollment at institutions of higher education that sponsor construction and manufacturing-oriented registered apprenticeship programs, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 22, 2025 by Angela Craig · Last progress July 22, 2025
Creates two federal grant programs to help colleges that sponsor construction- and manufacturing-oriented registered apprenticeship programs recruit students and support enrolled apprentices. One grant program funds employer and student outreach (prioritizing rural and underrepresented populations) and the other funds academic advising and student supports; both cap awards at $500,000 and authorize $5 million per year for FY2026–2030. Grantees must apply under Secretary guidance, report on participation and outcomes (including metrics for underrepresented groups), and meet program definitions tying apprenticeships to recognized postsecondary credentials and accredited institutions.