Apprenticeships enable students to earn a license to work in a regulated occupation. These programs offer a course of training in an art, a trade, or a job in many industries and establishments. They train new generations of tradespeople and professionals by providing on-the-job training, classroom work and study. Apprentices train while working for an employer who teaches them their occupation in exchange for their continued labor for an agreed period, once training is completed and students are competent. Apprenticeships often lead to permanent good-paying jobs at the company that trained them. Apprenticeships are available in many diverse fields and provide trainees with hands-on experience with pay, while greatly improving their employability. In 2021, nearly 600,000 apprentices obtained valuable skills while earning the wages needed to build financial security. Supporters claim apprenticeships offer a practical, economical, and sometimes better alternative to a college education.

Apprenticeships enable students to earn a license to work in a regulated occupation. These programs offer a course of training in an art, a trade, or a job in many industries and establishments. They train new generations of tradespeople and professionals by providing on-the-job training, classroom work and study. Apprentices train while working for an employer who teaches them their occupation in exchange for their continued labor for an agreed period, once training is completed and students are competent. Apprenticeships often lead to permanent good-paying jobs at the company that trained them. Apprenticeships are available in many diverse fields and provide trainees with hands-on experience with pay, while greatly improving their employability. In 2021, nearly 600,000 apprentices obtained valuable skills while earning the wages needed to build financial security. Supporters claim apprenticeships offer a practical, economical, and sometimes better alternative to a college education.

Proposed Legislation: Reintroduction of S.83 - American Apprenticeship Act (118th Congress 2023-2024)
Prospective Sponsor: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN)

• I oppose reforming current school Apprenticeship policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Leader John Thune (SD).
• I support authorizing the Department of Labor to make grants to assist states in carrying out projects that defray the cost of pre-apprenticeship or related instruction for qualified apprenticeship programs by:
  
  1.) Establishing performance measures and an evaluation system for such grant program.
  
  2.) Identifying in-demand occupations that lack the use of apprenticeships.
  
  3.) Analyzing the use of the qualified apprenticeship program model in those occupations, and report on such analysis to states and Congress.
  
  And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.