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THE VOICE OF THE MERIT SHOP

ABC is the voice of the merit shop on Capitol Hill! Sending letters to Congress allows ABC to publicly advocate for the views and interests of our more than 23,000 members. By corresponding with U.S. House of Representatives and Senate members, ABC promotes fair and open competition in the construction industry and fights to protect merit shop contractors around the country.

ABC Calls for Expanded CTE Opportunities in House Hearing

On Nov. 19, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education held a hearing titled, “From Classroom to Career: Strengthening Skills Pathways Through CTE.” Ahead of the hearing, ABC sent a letter to the committee highlighting ABC’s extensive training network, with chapters around the country providing flexible, industry-driven education and more than 450 registered apprenticeship programs. In 2023 alone, ABC members invested $1.6 billion to upskill 1.3 million workers.

Despite this commitment, ABC noted that current federal and state apprenticeship programs are not meeting workforce needs and emphasized the importance of expanding accessible CTE opportunities, better aligning high school programs with industry certifications, improving equipment and facilities, and strengthening partnerships between schools, employers and apprenticeship sponsors.