[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 30, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1763-H1764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                CELEBRATING NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP DAY

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
National Apprenticeship Day and highlight the vital role 
apprenticeships play in shaping our workforce and expanding 
opportunity.
  For thousands of years, apprenticeships have helped people learn 
valuable skills and secure meaningful careers, from blacksmiths of the 
past to today's electricians, software developers, and healthcare 
technicians.
  Today, too many good-paying jobs go unfilled because workers lack the 
proper training. Apprenticeships help close that gap by combining 
classroom instruction with hands-on experience while participants earn 
a paycheck. They offer a debt-free, practical alternative to college 
that leads directly to stable, in-demand careers.

[[Page H1764]]

  As co-chair of the Congressional Career and Technical Education 
Caucus, I have long championed career-focused pathways that connect 
Americans to opportunity. Apprenticeships are among the best tools to 
prepare people of all ages and backgrounds for success.
  With greater Federal support and public-private partnerships, we can 
expand access and modernize our apprenticeship system. I commend 
President Trump's commitment to this goal, including his executive 
order aiming for 1 million new apprenticeships.
  Mr. Speaker, let us celebrate National Apprenticeship Day and ensure 
that the future is brighter for all those who are climbing the ladder 
of opportunity and that every American knows that there is more than 
one path to success in the future.

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