[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 17325]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 306--DESIGNATING THE WEEK BEGINNING NOVEMBER 2, 2015, 
                  AS ``NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK''

  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:

                              S. Res. 306

       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--
       (A) academic and technical instruction; and
       (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--
       (A) design;
       (B) partnerships;
       (C) timeframes; and
       (D) use of emerging educational and training concepts; and
       (2) will continue to--
       (A) evolve to meet emerging skill essentials and employer 
     requirements; and
       (B) maintain high standards for apprentices;
       Whereas the national registered apprenticeship system 
     provides education and training for apprentices in--
       (1) high-growth sectors, including--
       (A) information technology;
       (B) financial services;
       (C) advanced manufacturing; and
       (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 21st century: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Senate designates the week beginning 
     November 2, 2015, as ``National Apprenticeship Week''.

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