[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 703 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 703
Supporting the designation of the week beginning November 11, 2019, as
``National Apprenticeship Week''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 14, 2019
Miss Rice of New York (for herself, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mrs. Davis
of California, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Khanna, Mr.
Brown of Maryland, Mr. Norcross, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Bonamici,
Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr. Langevin, Mrs. Lawrence,
Mr. Johnson of Ohio, Mr. Bera, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. Kilmer, Mr.
Larsen of Washington, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Ms. Norton, Mrs.
Axne, Mr. Takano, Ms. Craig, and Mr. Courtney) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the designation of the week beginning November 11, 2019, as
``National Apprenticeship Week''.
Whereas a highly skilled workforce is necessary to facilitate upward mobility,
increase standards of living, create high-wage jobs, compete in the
global economy, and support economic growth;
Whereas the national registered apprenticeship system established by the
National Apprenticeship Act of 1937 (29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.) (commonly
known as the ``Fitzgerald Act''), which has existed for over 80 years--
(1) creates career pathways to high-quality careers for working people
in the United States;
(2) offers a combination of academic and technical instruction and paid
on-the-job experience;
(3) provides working people with portable, nationally recognized,
industry credentials that lead to higher earning careers; and
(4) develops a highly skilled workforce;
Whereas registered apprenticeships--
(1) are increasingly innovative and diverse in their design, their
collaboration with local community partnerships, and their use of emerging
educational and training concepts including competency-based learning;
(2) will continue to evolve to meet the emerging demands of a 21st
century workforce;
(3) are critical elements of an effective workforce development system
and help individuals attain a recognized postsecondary credential,
contributing to their personal economic sustainability; and
(4) maintain high-quality standards for apprentices;
Whereas the national registered apprenticeship system can provide education and
training for apprentices in--
(1) high-growth sectors, including information technology, financial
services, advanced manufacturing, and health care; and
(2) traditional industries including the building trades;
Whereas, according to the Department of Labor, the national registered
apprenticeship system leverages approximately $1,000,000,000 in private
investment, largely in the construction industry, which reflects the
strong commitment of the sponsors of the national registered
apprenticeship system;
Whereas the national registered apprenticeship system provides employers--
(1) skilled workers trained to industry and employer specifications to
produce quality results;
(2) reduced turnover;
(3) a pipeline for new skilled workers and future managers;
(4) reduced worker compensation costs due to an emphasis on safety
training;
(5) key soft skills such as improved employee engagement, greater
problem-solving ability, flexibility to perform a variety of tasks, and a
reduced need for supervision; and
(6) valuable contribution to output by apprentices;
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) over the career of an apprentice, the estimated social benefits of
registered apprenticeship programs exceed the social costs by more than
$49,000; and
(3) the tax return on every dollar the Federal Government invested in
registered apprenticeship programs was $27;
Whereas according to the Department of Labor--
(1) nearly 600,000 new registered apprenticeships have been created
since January 1, 2017;
(2) registered apprenticeships have a 94-percent placement rate at
program completion; and
(3) after apprenticeship completion, participants have an average
salary of $70,000; and
Whereas the celebration of National Apprenticeship Week--
(1) honors industries that have mastered the registered apprenticeship
model;
(2) encourages expansion of the registered apprenticeship model into
new industries;
(3) recognizes the role the national registered apprenticeship system
has played in preparing workers for the jobs of today and tomorrow; and
(4) promotes conversation about ways the national registered
apprenticeship system can continue to respond to workforce challenges in
the 21st century: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the designation of ``National Apprenticeship
Week'';
(2) supports the expansion of apprenticeships in in-demand
industry sectors and occupations;
(3) increases awareness about the value of the registered
apprenticeship program model as an effective earn-and-learn
model for students, workers, and employers;
(4) supports the development and expansion of effective
pre-apprenticeship programs that lead to success in a
registered apprenticeship program;
(5) supports a closer alignment between registered
apprenticeship programs, the workforce development system,
career and technical education, and postsecondary education,
including institutions of higher education;
(6) recognizes the importance of apprenticeships in
developing a well-trained, highly skilled, and more diverse
workforce; and
(7) commends organizations and employers that actively
support apprenticeship programs.
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