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The Biden-Harris administration is expanding the apprenticeship program in certain American industries and investing in workforce development to provide job access for women, people of color, veterans and other historically marginalized workers. according to a July 11 announcement of the White House.
As part of the administration’s broader Investing in America plan, the investments are aimed at creating training pipelines for in-demand jobs, regardless of college degree.
“To do this, the Administration launched nine Investing in America Workforce Centers across the country that bring together unions, local governments, employers, training providers, schools, community colleges and other stakeholders to facilitate associations to train and connect workers with jobs in high-demand sectors,” according to the announcement.
In 2023, the Biden administration launched five workforce centers in Augusta, Georgia; Baltimore; Columbus, Ohio; Phoenix; and Pittsburgh, which expanded pre-apprenticeships and registered apprentices, trained workers and supported community college programs. This year, four new centers will open in New York state, Michigan, Milwaukee and Philadelphia.
As part of the July announcement, Philadelphia launched new efforts to build workforce development pipelines to attract workers. For example, the Geographical and Economic Hiring Preference program aims to hire 50% of apprentices and 20% of workers in certain public works projects in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods of the city, guaranteeing 200 new apprenticeships in underserved communities .
Nationally, new investment in pre-apprenticeship programs aims to double the number of people moving on to registered apprenticeships and increase apprentice retention rates. Funding is slated to reach communities in 32 states.
The additional funding will support the registered learning program, including public-private partnerships in in-demand fields such as clean energy, advanced manufacturing, IT and cybersecurity, and K-12 education.
Although learners remain outside the mainstream in the United States, they have received more attention in recent years, particularly as part of the Biden administration’s expansions. Apprenticeships are intended to serve as another avenue to fill talent gaps and create pipelines, especially in industries that don’t receive a lot of interest from younger workers.
However, in early 2024, Republican lawmakers told the US Department of Labor that a proposed rule on registered learning program would discourage the participation of small businesses. Lawmakers complained about the administrative requirements, including mandatory disclosures and the required adoption of a time-based model for learning completion.
