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On March 11, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a final rule , officially titled Apprenticeship Programs, Labor Standards for Registration, Amendment of Regulations, which establishes a process for creating high-quality, industry-recognized apprenticeship programs by organizations that apply to become DOL recognized Standards Recognition Entities. The rule prohibits SREs from recognizing IRAPs in the construction sector. DOL’s press release on the proposal is available here.

Associated Builders and Contractors Vice President of Health, Safety, Environment and Workforce Development Greg Sizemore today issued the following statement on the release of the final Department of Labor industry-recognized apprenticeship rule:

“All U.S. workers should have the opportunity to participate in DOL’s new industry programs, particularly as federal registered apprenticeship programs supply only a small fraction of the construction industry’s workforce. ABC, our 69 chapters and 21,000-plus members will continue to utilize an all-of-the-above education approach to ensure our workforce meets the highest standards for safety and quality craftsmanship, which has been and will remain our top priority. ABC members invested $1.6 billion to educate their employees in 2018, up from $1.1 billion in 2013, according to the results of ABC’s 2019 Workforce Development Survey. The 45% increase in spending resulted in nearly twice as many course attendees—more than 980,000—receiving craft, leadership and safety education to advance their careers in commercial and industrial construction.”

Learn more about the final rule here:

• IRAP Final Rule
• Fact Sheet
• FAQs
• Apprenticeship.gov
• DOL March 26 Webinar on Final Rule

On Aug. 26, ABC submitted comments on the DOL’s proposed rule on apprenticeship programs,  recommending an “all-of-the-above” approach to workforce development to the DOL.