East PDX Today

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) joined House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), and a bipartisan group of her colleagues to introduce the National Apprenticeship Act of 2023 earlier this week. The proposal would create nearly one million new registered apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeship opportunities by investing more than $3.8 billion over five years. These resources will help scale up apprenticeship opportunities, streamline access to apprenticeships for both workers and employers and expand apprenticeships into new and in-demand industry sectors and occupations.

Yesterday, Chavez-DeRemer also joined a bipartisan group of her colleagues to launch the Building Trades Caucus, which seeks to bring members of Congress together to advocate on behalf of the millions of hardworking men and women in the construction industry.

“One of the main goals of the Building Trades Caucus is to expand access to apprenticeships. As we officially launch the caucus, I’m honored also to help introduce legislation that will address the skills gap in our workforce, ensure students and workers are ready to meet the needs of today’s economy, and bolster our economic competitiveness. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this much-needed legislation,” Chavez-DeRemer said. 

Department of Labor (DOL), 93 percentof people who complete a registered apprenticeship are employed upon completion. Businesses also earn $1.44 back for every dollar invested in their registered apprenticeship program.

Previously, the House passed the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 with bipartisan support. The bill is currently also led by 14 other House Republicans and 18 House Democrats. Full text of the bill is available HERE.

Original source can be found here.