[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
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

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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 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

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the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA