[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 209 (Thursday, December 10, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING NILS BACKSTROM AS IOWAN OF THE WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CYNTHIA AXNE

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 10, 2020

  Mrs. AXNE. Madam Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join 
me in recognizing an Iowan who embodies the value of a strong work 
ethic and the dedication it takes to learn a trade. Earlier this month 
we celebrated National Apprenticeship Week to highlight the impact and 
value of apprenticeship programs across the United States. To continue 
that celebration, I am proud to name Nils Backstrom, a union carpenter 
in Iowa with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of 
America, as our Iowan of the Week for the week of November 20th.
  Leaders in the Carpenters Training Program have described Nils as a 
pillar of what it means to be an active apprentice in their program. 
He's always the first to volunteer for projects and has been a member 
of the Apprenticeship Committee since its inception. From the day Nils 
arrived at training, he has pushed both himself and the instructional 
team to be the very best at what they do.
  The benefits of apprenticeship programs cannot be overstated. They 
supply Iowa businesses with well-trained employees to get tough jobs 
done well and on time, and folks like Nils are the backbone of these 
programs. These professionals are instilled with both the technical 
skills required of the job and leadership capacity that is so highly 
sought after. Apprentices complete 7,000 hours of on-the-job training 
and more than 640 hours of classroom learning.
  Supplying a pipeline of highly skilled employees for the future is a 
critical role apprenticeship programs play in not just Iowa but 
nationally as well. Ensuring vital industries like information 
technology, healthcare, building trades, and advanced manufacturing are 
filled with the right people is crucial for building our future. What's 
more, the work is rewarding and Iowans in these positions make a good 
living for their families. The Department of Labor has shown that 
Registered Apprenticeships have a 94 percent job placement rate at the 
conclusion of the program--with a highly competitive salary.
  The importance of protecting and enhancing our workforce by 
supporting these apprenticeship programs should be an issue we can all 
get behind. Nils Backstrom is one of many hundreds of thousands of 
skilled apprentices across the nation. His spirit and drive, and that 
of his colleagues, are needed to build towards a better future for all 
individuals.
  I'm grateful to Nils and his fellow apprentices for their dedication 
to their trade and their contributions to growing our state. We need 
more individuals like him to join the trade and fill highly in-demand, 
skilled positions available right here in Iowa. I ask the House to join 
me in honoring Nils Backstrom as Iowan of the Week.

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