What This Bill Does
This bill creates a grant program to help workforce intermediaries (organizations that assist employers in developing apprenticeship programs) support registered apprenticeships in industries with high job growth. The bill provides funding and support to expand apprenticeship opportunities, especially in fields that currently lack apprenticeship programs.
Who It Affects
Workforce intermediaries and their partner organizations (businesses, nonprofits, educational institutions, labor organizations, government boards) that apply for grants. Employers considering apprenticeship programs. Potential apprentices and job seekers. The Secretary of Labor, who manages the grant program.
Key Provisions
• The Secretary of Labor shall establish a competitive grant program awarding money to workforce intermediaries to develop and implement registered apprenticeship programs (Sec. 4)
• Each grant can be awarded for up to 4 years and amounts up to $6,000,000, determined based on the number of apprentices the intermediary plans to facilitate (Sec. 4)
• Grant recipients must provide matching funds from non-federal sources equal to at least 20 percent of the grant amount (Sec. 4)
• Workforce intermediaries must use grant funds for activities like employer outreach, curriculum design, apprentice support services, and developing national guidelines for apprenticeships (Sec. 6)
• The Secretary must conduct evaluations of each grant recipient 6 years after the grant funding begins, examining completion rates, job retention, wages, and apprenticeships in high-growth industries (Sec. 7)
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, the government will begin awarding grants to organizations that help employers create apprenticeship programs, particularly in industries with strong job growth where apprenticeships currently do not exist. Grant recipients will receive funding to market apprenticeships, help employers design programs, and provide support services to apprentices. The government will track and evaluate how successful these intermediaries are at creating apprenticeships and placing people in jobs.
Important Definitions
Registered apprenticeship program: A program registered under the National Apprenticeship Act (a 1937 law establishing apprenticeship standards).
In-demand industry sector: An industry sector identified as having strong projected job growth.
Workforce intermediary: An organization at the national, regional, state or local level that helps employers develop and deliver registered apprenticeship programs. Can be a single organization or a partnership including businesses, nonprofits, educational institutions, labor organizations, or industry associations.
Nontraditional apprenticeship occupation: An occupation that has not traditionally used apprenticeships but would benefit from having one, such as in financial services, advanced manufacturing, information technology, healthcare, or hospitality.
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 249
To promote registered apprenticeships, including registered apprenticeships
within in-demand industry sectors, through the support of workforce
intermediaries, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 2, 2023
Mr. COONS (for himself, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. MORAN, and Mr. BROWN) intro-
duced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Com-
mittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
A BILL
To promote registered apprenticeships, including registered
apprenticeships
within
in-demand
industry
sectors,
through the support of workforce intermediaries, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Apprenticeship Hubs
4
Across America Act of 2023’’.
5
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
6
Congress finds the following:
7
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(1) Registered apprenticeship programs provide
1
apprentices employment with structured on-the-job
2
training, little to no student loan debt, competitive
3
wages, industry-recognized credentials, direct access
4
to jobs and careers, and in some cases, the potential
5
to earn college credit toward an associate’s or bach-
6
elor’s degree.
7
(2) According to the Department of Labor, the
8
average salary for an individual who completes an
9
apprenticeship program is $77,000 annually. Ap-
10
prentices who complete their program earn approxi-
11
mately $300,000 more during their career than
12
peers who did not complete an apprenticeship.
13
(3) There are still very few apprenticeship posi-
14
tions in sectors with high projected job growth. Ac-
15
cording to data from the Department of Labor, pro-
16
fessional, scientific, and technical services—all in-
17
dustries with high projected job growth—had only
18
1,897 apprentices in fiscal year 2021. In the same
19
year, there were less than 14,000 active apprentices
20
in the field of healthcare and social assistance, one
21
of the fastest growing sectors.
22
(4) A major barrier to expanding registered ap-
23
prenticeships in high-growth job sectors is employ-
24
ers’ lack of familiarity with the process to establish,
25
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and the requirements of, registered apprenticeship
1
programs.
2
(5) Workforce intermediaries, which are organi-
3
zations at the national, regional, State, or local level
4
that help ease the process for employers in devel-
5
oping and delivering new registered apprenticeship
6
programs, can serve as a catalyzing force for cre-
7
ating and expanding registered apprenticeships in
8
high-growth job sectors through technical assistance
9
and capacity building for employers, labor organiza-
10
tions, educational institutions, and government enti-
11
ties.
12
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
13
In this Act:
14
(1) APPRENTICESHIP.—The term ‘‘apprentice-
15
ship’’ means an opportunity in a registered appren-
16
ticeship program.
17
(2) IN-DEMAND INDUSTRY SECTOR.—The term
18
‘‘in-demand industry sector’’ means a sector de-
19
scribed in subparagraphs (A)(i) and (B) of section
20
3(23) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
21
Act (29 U.S.C. 3102(23)).
22
(3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The
23
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the
24
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meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher
1
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
2
(4) LOCAL
BOARD.—The term ‘‘local board’’
3
has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the
4
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29
5
U.S.C. 3102).
6
(5) NONTRADITIONAL APPRENTICESHIP OCCU-
7
PATION.—The term ‘‘nontraditional apprenticeship
8
occupation’’ means an occupation that has not tradi-
9
tionally engaged in carrying out registered appren-
10
ticeship programs, but which the Secretary deter-
11
mines would benefit from having such a program
12
(such as an occupation in a financial services, ad-
13
vanced
manufacturing,
information
technology,
14
health care, or hospitality industry sector).
15
(6) REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.—
16
The term ‘‘registered apprenticeship program’’
17
means a program registered under the Act of Au-
18
gust 16, 1937 (commonly known as the ‘‘National
19
Apprenticeship Act’’; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29
20
U.S.C. 50 et seq.).
21
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
22
the Secretary of Labor.
23
(8) STATE BOARD.—The term ‘‘State board’’
24
has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the
25
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Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29
1
U.S.C. 3102).
2
(9) WORKFORCE
INTERMEDIARY.—The term
3
‘‘workforce intermediary’’ means an entity that, at
4
the national, regional, State, or local level—
5
(A)(i) facilitates the establishment of reg-
6
istered apprenticeship programs; or
7
(ii) if awarded a grant under this Act, has
8
the capacity, and will work, to facilitate the es-
9
tablishment of registered apprenticeship pro-
10
grams; and
11
(B) may be a partnership that includes 1
12
or more of the following as partners:
13
(i) A business or industry organiza-
14
tion.
15
(ii) A community-based organization.
16
(iii) A joint labor-management part-
17
nership.
18
(iv) An institution of higher edu-
19
cation.
20
(v) A State board or local board.
21
(vi) A nonprofit organization.
22
(vii) An industry or sector partnership
23
as defined in section 3 of the Workforce
24
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Innovation
and
Opportunity
Act
(29
1
U.S.C. 3102).
2
(viii) An industry association.
3
(ix) A joint labor-management organi-
4
zation.
5
(x) A consortium of organizations that
6
provide technical assistance to support and
7
to increase the development of registered
8
apprenticeship programs.
9
(xi) Any other entity that the Sec-
10
retary considers to be appropriate.
11
SEC. 4. WORKFORCE INTERMEDIARIES GRANT PROGRAM.
12
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—From amounts made avail-
13
able to carry out this Act, the Secretary shall establish
14
and carry out a workforce intermediaries grant program
15
by awarding grants, on a competitive basis, to workforce
16
intermediaries, to enable the workforce intermediaries to
17
engage a variety of stakeholders, such as local boards, sec-
18
ondary schools, institutions of higher education, and em-
19
ployers, to support, develop, and implement registered ap-
20
prenticeship programs in accordance with section 6.
21
(b) DURATION.—A grant awarded under this Act
22
shall be for a period of not more than 4 years.
23
(c) AMOUNT.—A grant awarded under this Act shall
24
be in an amount of not more than $6,000,000, and such
25
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amount shall be determined based on the relative number
1
of apprentices a workforce intermediary plans to facilitate.
2
(d) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY.—In awarding grants
3
under this Act, the Secretary shall ensure that there is
4
geographic diversity in the areas in which activities will
5
be carried out under the grants.
6
(e) MATCHING FUNDS.—A workforce intermediary
7
receiving a grant under this Act shall provide matching
8
funds, from non-Federal sources, for the activities sup-
9
ported under the grant. The matching funds shall be in
10
an amount that is not less than 20 percent of the amount
11
of grant funds provided under the grant.
12
SEC. 5. APPLICATIONS.
13
(a) IN GENERAL.—A workforce intermediary desiring
14
a grant under this Act shall submit an application to the
15
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing
16
such information as the Secretary may require.
17
(b) CONTENTS.—The application described in sub-
18
section (a) shall include—
19
(1) information regarding—
20
(A) in the case of a workforce intermediary
21
described in section 3(9)(A)(i), the extent to
22
which the workforce intermediary is working, as
23
of the date of the application, with stakeholders
24
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to provide activities such as the activities de-
1
scribed in section 6; or
2
(B) in the case of a workforce intermediary
3
described in section 3(9)(A)(ii), the capacity of
4
the workforce intermediary to begin providing
5
activities described in section 6 upon receipt of
6
the grant, including information demonstrating
7
that the workforce intermediary would be suc-
8
cessful in carrying out such activities;
9
(2) information regarding the extent to which
10
the grant will help the workforce intermediary—
11
(A) expand apprenticeships for in-demand
12
industry sectors that lack apprenticeships at the
13
time of the application; or
14
(B) target populations that are underrep-
15
resented—
16
(i) in apprenticeships generally; or
17
(ii) in the fields in which the appren-
18
tices will be trained;
19
(3) assurances that—
20
(A) the workforce intermediary will cooper-
21
ate in the evaluation of the project conducted
22
under section 7; and
23
(B) the workforce intermediary will meet
24
the matching requirement under section 4(e);
25
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(4)
information
about
the
workforce
1
intermediary’s—
2
(A) experience in providing activities de-
3
scribed in section 6 and capacity, or ability to
4
develop or expand capacity, to provide such ac-
5
tivities;
6
(B) experience working in a collaborative
7
environment with government and nongovern-
8
mental entities;
9
(C) ability to raise or provide funding to
10
cover operating costs for the long-term sustain-
11
ability of the activities supported under the
12
grant; and
13
(D) capacity and infrastructure to track
14
outcomes and measure results, including capac-
15
ity to track and analyze program performance
16
and assess program impact; and
17
(5) information describing how the workforce
18
intermediary will promote the diversity described in
19
section 6(b)(1)(F).
20
SEC. 6. USE OF FUNDS.
21
(a) IN GENERAL.—A workforce intermediary that re-
22
ceives a grant under this Act shall use the grant funds
23
to carry out activities, which may include activities de-
24
scribed in subsection (b) or other strategies as may be nec-
25
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essary, that support the development and successful imple-
1
mentation of registered apprenticeship programs.
2
(b) SUGGESTED USES.—A workforce intermediary
3
may carry out subsection (a) through 1 or more of the
4
following activities, as determined appropriate by the Sec-
5
retary:
6
(1) OUTREACH AND MARKETING.—A workforce
7
intermediary may provide services to engage employ-
8
ers in registered apprenticeship programs, which
9
may include—
10
(A) marketing apprenticeships regionally,
11
to employers and to potential apprentices;
12
(B) marketing apprenticeships to sec-
13
ondary school students, counselors, school ad-
14
ministrators, or parents;
15
(C) recruiting and evaluating candidates
16
for apprenticeships;
17
(D) conducting outreach to employers to
18
persuade the employers to adopt the apprentice-
19
ship model;
20
(E) matching employers with apprentices;
21
and
22
(F) promoting diversity among apprentices
23
by promoting outreach to underrepresented
24
populations (such as women and minorities),
25
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youth, individuals with disabilities (as defined
1
in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities
2
Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102)), and veterans.
3
(2) EMPLOYER ENGAGEMENT.—The workforce
4
intermediary may provide services to engage employ-
5
ers in, and develop curricula for, registered appren-
6
ticeship programs, which may include assisting a
7
small or medium-sized employer with—
8
(A) designing a curriculum for a registered
9
apprenticeship program that blends occupation-
10
specific skills and general industry skills;
11
(B) designing a comprehensive training
12
plan for apprentices;
13
(C) navigating the registration process for
14
the registered apprenticeship program;
15
(D) identifying skills, both technical and
16
behavioral, needed to perform the occupation in
17
question;
18
(E) providing training to managers and
19
front-line employees to serve as trainers or
20
mentors to apprentices in the registered appren-
21
ticeship program;
22
(F) paying for the cost of off-site training
23
provided to apprentices;
24
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(G) coordinating activities between training
1
instructors and worksite supervisors of appren-
2
tices;
3
(H) conducting or arranging for off-the-job
4
training related to the apprenticeship;
5
(I) convening employers to define skills for
6
the registered apprenticeship program; and
7
(J) developing occupational standards that
8
are nationally recognized and portable to help
9
guide employers and sponsors in establishing
10
new registered apprenticeship programs.
11
(3) SUPPORT SERVICES FOR APPRENTICES.—
12
The workforce intermediary may provide support
13
services for apprentices to assure their success in,
14
and after, registered apprenticeship programs, which
15
may include—
16
(A) providing guidance to, mentorship to,
17
and oversight of apprentices during the pro-
18
gram, to ensure retention and completion;
19
(B) providing services to address chal-
20
lenges that surface for apprentices during the
21
apprenticeship;
22
(C) providing professional development
23
training needed for apprentices to succeed in a
24
full-time job after the apprenticeship;
25
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