House Passes National Apprenticeship Act Including Key Pappas Provisions

Today, the House passed a 5-year reauthorization of the National Apprenticeship Act containing key language introduced by Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) to increase apprenticeship opportunities and create more good, high-paying jobs amid the on-going economic crisis caused by COVID-19

H.R. 8294, or the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020, will invest more than $3.5 billion over the next 5 years in expanding opportunities and access to Registered Apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeships to help create nearly 1 million new apprenticeship opportunities.

This legislation includes two provisions introduced by Congressman Pappas to strengthen America's apprenticeship opportunities by improving data sharing and allowing for innovation in the apprenticeship system.

"In order to rebuild our economy and get Granite Staters back to work, it is crucial we support apprenticeship programs and streamline our ability to pair skilled workers with great American companies looking to hire," said Congressman Pappas. "The National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 will do just that by increasing funding for programs, reducing bureaucratic barriers, and better-aligning efforts between our agencies. I am also pleased that this bill includes language I introduced to strengthen and innovate apprenticeship programs, and I look forward to continuing working with my colleagues on bipartisan legislation that supports our workers in a rapidly changing economy."

The specific provisions Pappas introduced include an amendment that will allow for demonstration projects to explore new models of programs, including for activities related to COVID-19. The second provision he introduced H.R. 8766, the Apprenticeship Program National Scorecard Act, creates a centralized information technology infrastructure to support data sharing and reporting so that all relevant stakeholders are able to access information on apprenticeship opportunities that best meet their needs.

The National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 will:

• Authorizes $400 million for the fiscal year 2021, increasing by $100 million annually to $800 million for the fiscal year 2025 to support the creation or expansion of registered apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeship programs, including in non-traditional apprenticeship occupations.
• Establishes and expands educational alignment with programs under the national apprenticeship system.
• Codifies and streamlines standards for registered apprenticeships, youth apprenticeship, and pre-apprenticeship programs.
• Strengthens the connections between the Department of Education and the Department of Labor to support the creation and expansion of youth apprenticeships and data sharing.