[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 213 (Wednesday, November 4, 2015)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 68419-68420]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-28308]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 213 / Wednesday, November 4, 2015 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 68419]]


                Proclamation 9363 of October 30, 2015

                
National Apprenticeship Week, 2015

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                At the heart of our Nation's promise lies a simple 
                truth: If you work hard you can get ahead, earn a 
                decent-paying job, and secure a brighter future for 
                yourself and your family. To make this promise real, 
                our economy has to work for everyone, and that begins 
                with providing all our people with the tools and 
                resources they need to utilize their unique talents to 
                contribute to our country's success. Apprenticeships 
                offer this opportunity, and over 430,000 Americans 
                participate in these programs today. During National 
                Apprenticeship Week, we recognize the ways 
                apprenticeships foster innovation and prosperity, and 
                we recommit to encouraging and supporting those who 
                offer and partake in them.

                Without the skills to get new, higher-wage jobs, and 
                without the knowledge to adapt to new machinery, 
                systems, technology, and techniques, the American 
                worker could fall behind. Apprenticeships help people 
                upgrade their skills and keep pace with the demands of 
                the 21st century. Today, in part thanks to strong 
                cooperation between labor and management, 87 percent of 
                apprentices find employment after completing their 
                program, and their average starting wage is above 
                $50,000. And over the course of their lifetimes, 
                workers who complete an apprenticeship on the job may 
                earn hundreds of thousands of dollars more than their 
                peers who do not. According to multiple studies, the 
                payout is good for employers, too--they see significant 
                returns in the form of increased productivity, reduced 
                waste, and greater innovation.

                Across America, employers, educators, labor leaders, 
                and elected officials are joining together to encourage 
                and support apprenticeships. Businesses are preparing 
                workers for jobs in advanced manufacturing, information 
                technology, health care, and other industries, while 
                unions are helping their members secure new and more 
                gainful employment. Hundreds of our Nation's colleges 
                are awarding credit toward a degree for completing an 
                apprenticeship program. And State and local governments 
                in every corner of our country have been working to 
                help America succeed by investing in programs to train 
                our workers for the jobs of tomorrow.

                At the Federal level, my Administration is committed to 
                enabling hardworking people to earn and learn at the 
                same time by supporting job-driven training initiatives 
                like apprenticeships. Today, 55,000 more apprenticeship 
                positions are available than there were at the start of 
                2014. To build on this progress, we awarded $175 
                million in grants to 46 apprenticeship programs around 
                America. This investment will provide training 
                opportunities for 34,000 new apprentices over the next 
                5 years, ensure apprenticeships are available to 
                diverse and historically underrepresented populations, 
                and provide a framework for apprenticeship 
                opportunities to grow. Earlier this year, we hosted the 
                White House Summit on ApprenticeshipUSA, bringing 
                together over 140 employers, labor and education 
                organizations, community-based groups, and others to 
                recognize their commitment and to generate the best 
                ideas on how to expand these programs. Additionally, I 
                urged the Congress to create a $2 billion 
                Apprenticeship Training Fund to double the number of 
                apprentices in America, and I have called on businesses

[[Page 68420]]

                to offer more educational benefits and paid 
                apprenticeships to their employees regardless of their 
                level of education.

                Our country thrives when all our citizens play a role 
                in driving it forward. If we create good jobs and help 
                workers get the skills they need to succeed in those 
                jobs, we can restore the link between hard work and 
                growing opportunity for every American. During National 
                Apprenticeship Week, let us support and encourage 
                apprenticeship programs that will help rebuild our 
                middle class, and let us rededicate ourselves to 
                educating more of our people, retraining our workforce, 
                and renewing our Nation's promise to put the American 
                dream within the reach of the determined.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim November 1 through 
                November 7, 2015, as National Apprenticeship Week. I 
                urge the Congress, State and local governments, 
                educational institutions, industry and labor leaders, 
                and all Americans to support apprenticeship programs in 
                the United States and to raise awareness of their 
                contributions to our country.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2015-28308
Filed 11-3-15; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F6-P