U.S. House passes apprenticeship bill

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives again passed the National Apprenticeships Act, which is intended to increase the diversity of occupations and people covered by approved apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeships receive substantial attention for their track record of strong economic impacts when measured at the state level, and the bill also hopes to improve the ability to track impacts across the country.

The bill would create a federal-state-local structure that resembles the workforce development program. States would designate apprenticeship agencies to form an advisory council, develop a state plan for recognizing approved programs, provide technical assistance to expand participation, authorize hubs throughout the state, and measure performance outcomes.

The National Apprenticeships Act dramatically increases funding authorization for the program — starting with $400 million in FY 2022 — but it is unclear if appropriators, which funded apprenticeships with $175 million in FY 2021, are prepared to match these amounts. The Senate has not yet taken action on this bill.