ABC Resources on the U.S. DOL’s National Apprenticeship System Enhancements Proposed Rule

On Jan. 17, 2024, the Federal Register published a controversial U.S. Department of Labor proposed rule that would make significant revisions to the National Apprenticeship System, which will affect ABC members, chapters, apprentices and other industry stakeholders participating in government-registered apprenticeship programs. Comments on the proposed rule are due March 18.

ABC is concerned that this proposal will discourage employer participation in the GRAP system by adding more bureaucracy and paperwork requirements, eliminating flexible competency-based approaches to workforce development that benefit apprentices and employers and increasing overall uncertainty for the regulatory community.

ABC has compiled the below resources for stakeholders seeking information on the NPRM’s many proposed changes to the GRAP system. This page will be updated as additional information becomes available.

ABC Resources:

• ABC Webinar: What Does the Biden DOL’s Controversial Apprenticeship Proposed Rule Mean for ABC Members and Chapters? Jan. 30, 2024
• Find ABC-Sponsored GRAPs
• ABC’s Comments on the Proposed Rule
• ABC IRA Resource Center: Includes Information on New GRAP Mandates Under the Inflation Reduction Act
• Apprenticeships for America Resource Center: Includes Side-by-Side Analysis of NPRM’s Changes, Webinar Series, Rule Summary and More
• ABC Workforce Development Resources

News Updates:

• Newsline: ABC Submits Comments Opposing Biden Administration’s Illegal and Costly Apprenticeship Proposed Rule, March 20, 2024
• ABC Urges Biden Administration To Withdraw Its Illegal, Ineffective and Costly Apprenticeship Proposed Rule, March 19, 2024
• ABC Survey: Biden’s Proposed Apprenticeship Rule Will Strongly Discourage Construction Apprenticeship Program Participation, Feb. 27, 2024
• ABC: Government-Registered Apprenticeship Programs Not Keeping Up With Construction Industry Needs, Feb. 22, 2024
• ABC: Biden’s Proposal Overhauling Government-Registered Apprenticeship Programs Will Exacerbate Construction Industry Labor Shortage, Dec. 18, 2023
• Wall Street Journal Editorial, “Biden to Apprentices: You’re Fired,” Dec. 18, 2023
• ABC: Members Invested $1.5 Billion in Construction Workforce Education To Upskill 1.3 Million in 2022, July 10, 2023

Federal Government Resources:

• Full Text of the NPRM
• DOL Resources on the NPRM
• SBA Office of Advocacy Regulatory Alert
• House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Rep. Virginia Foxx Statement
• Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Ranking Member Sen. Bill Cassidy Statement

Apprenticeship Executive Order

Separately from the proposed rule, President Joe Biden’s March 6 Executive Order 14119 on Scaling and Expanding the Use of Registered Apprenticeships in Industries and the Federal Government and Promoting Labor-Management Forums has the stated goal of expanding the usage of government-registered apprenticeship programs by the federal government.

The order directs federal agencies to identify where they can implement new requirements or incentives for federal contractors and recipients of federal financial assistance to employ workers who are active participants or graduates of a GRAP.

While specific details on how these new requirements will be implemented are not yet available until a rulemaking is completed, ABC is concerned that any new mandates or incentives on federal contracts and grants will reduce competition from contractors that choose not to participate in the GRAP system or lack access to these programs.

Resources:

• Full Text of the Executive Order
• White House Fact Sheet
• Biden Executive Order Ties Apprenticeship Participation to Federal and Federally Assisted Construction Contracts, ABC Newsline Article, March 6, 2024
• ABC: New Biden Executive Order Pushing Apprenticeships Will Disrupt Construction Industry, March 6, 2024