E&W Blog

America’s skills gap, which means workers don’t have the skills employers actually need, is projected to cost $1.2 TRILLION in GDP over the next 10 years, according to America Succeeds. 

Last Congress, the Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee Chairman Burgess Owens (R-UT) made this prescient statement: “Without swift action, the skills gap is in danger of becoming a skills canyon.”

Given the pressing need to help equip workers with in-demand skills, surely the Biden-Harris administration made this a priority, right? Wrong.

The Biden-Harris administration sought a massive federal power grab that would’ve made the apprenticeship system unworkable and irrelevant to the needs of workers and employers.

Committee Republicans understand that effectively reskilling and upskilling our workforce will require employers to be in the driver’s seat. But under Biden-Harris, job creators were excluded. What’s more, Biden-Harris tried to inject political ideology and DEI mandates into the apprenticeship system. These apprenticeship changes would have imposed significant burdens on apprenticeship sponsors and employers.

This was particularly frustrating because we know earn-and-learn programs offer workers a viable path to pursue the American Dream on their own terms. Making apprenticeships harder to access for workers and job creators is nonsensical.

Apprenticeships are in demand with more Americans realizing a college degree doesn’t provide the same access to a stable career it once did.  An American Student Assistance study found that 79 percent of high school students reported being interested in a work-based learning experience, but only 34 percent were aware of any opportunities for students their age.

Americans want more ways to acquire the skills and credentials needed to succeed. And it is no surprise why. Apprenticeships are expanding into an exciting, wide range of industries like health care, hospitality, information technology, and advanced manufacturing.

This is why President Trump recently signed an executive order to strengthen apprenticeship programs so American workers can prosper. The executive order seeks to “consolidate and streamline fragmented Federal workforce development programs that are too disconnected from propelling workers into secure, well-paying, and high-need American jobs.”

The future of apprenticeships in America looks brighter than ever. Committee Republicans are committed to equipping more jobseekers with the skills needed in the modern economy.

Bottom line, under the second Trump administration, Americans can look forward to more apprenticeship opportunities that benefit students, workers, and job creators. 

Happy National Apprenticeship Day!