[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 306 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 306

    Designating the week beginning November 2, 2015, as ``National 
                         Apprenticeship Week''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 4, 2015

  Mrs. Murray (for herself, Ms. Cantwell, Ms. Collins, Mr. Scott, Mr. 
Booker, Ms. Ayotte, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Brown, Mr. Coons, 
Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Franken, Mr. Kaine, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. 
Peters, Mrs. Shaheen, and Mr. Reed) submitted the following resolution; 
                   which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Designating the week beginning November 2, 2015, as ``National 
                         Apprenticeship Week''.

Whereas a highly skilled workforce is necessary to compete in the global economy 
        and to support economic growth;
Whereas the national registered apprenticeship system established by the Act of 
        August 16, 1937 (29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.) (commonly known as the ``National 
        Apprenticeship Act'') (referred to in this preamble as the ``national 
        registered apprenticeship system''), which has existed for over 75 
        years--

    (1) is an important pathway for workers of the United States;

    (2) offers a combination of--

    G    (A) academic and technical instruction; and

    G    (B) paid, on-the-job, training;

    (3) provides workers of the United States credentials that are 
nationally-recognized and industry-recognized;

    (4) leads to higher earnings for apprentices; and

    (5) develops a highly skilled workforce for the United States;

Whereas registered apprenticeships--

    (1) are becoming increasingly innovative and diverse in--

    G    (A) design;

    G    (B) partnerships;

    G    (C) timeframes; and

    G    (D) use of emerging educational and training concepts; and

    (2) will continue to--

    G    (A) evolve to meet emerging skill essentials and employer 
requirements; and

    G    (B) maintain high standards for apprentices;

Whereas the national registered apprenticeship system provides education and 
        training for apprentices in--

    (1) high-growth sectors, including--

    G    (A) information technology;

    G    (B) financial services;

    G    (C) advanced manufacturing; and

    G    (D) health care; and

    (2) traditional industries;

Whereas, according to the Department of Labor, the national registered 
        apprenticeship system leverages approximately $1,000,000,000 in private 
        investment, which reflects the strong commitment of the sponsors of the 
        national registered apprenticeship system;
Whereas an evaluation of registered apprenticeship programs in 10 States 
        conducted by Mathematica Policy Research in 2012 found that--

    (1) individuals who completed registered apprenticeship programs earned 
over $240,000 more over their careers than individuals who did not 
participate in registered apprenticeship programs;

    (2) the estimated social benefits of each registered apprenticeship 
program (including additional productivity of apprentices and the reduction 
in governmental expenditures as a result of reduced use of unemployment 
compensation and public assistance) exceeded the costs of each registered 
apprenticeship program by more than $49,000; and

    (3) the tax return on every dollar the Federal Government invested in 
registered apprenticeship programs was $27; and

Whereas celebration of National Apprenticeship Week--

    (1) honors industries that use the registered apprenticeship model;

    (2) encourages expansion of the registered apprenticeship model to 
prepare highly skilled workers of the United States;

    (3) recognizes the role the national registered apprenticeship system 
has played in preparing workers of the United States for jobs; and

    (4) promotes conversation about ways the national registered 
apprenticeship system can continue to respond to workforce challenges in 
the 21\st\ century: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the Senate designates the week beginning November 2, 
2015, as ``National Apprenticeship Week''.
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