National Apprenticeship Act of 2020

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1224, I call up the bill (H.R. 8294) to amend the National Apprenticeship Act and expand the national apprenticeship system to include apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeship registered under such Act, to promote the furtherance of labor standards necessary to safeguard the welfare of apprentices, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. 8294, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8294, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020.

Our economy continues to permanently lose jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, it is estimated that 7 million of those who lose jobs during the pandemic will not return to those jobs.

Congress has a responsibility to help workers not only find jobs, but also prepare them for long-term employment. Expanding the registered apprenticeship system, our most successful workforce development initiative, is the proven solution we need.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of workers count on registered apprenticeships to learn in-demand skills, earn wages that grow along with those skills, and receive nationally recognized credentials that lead to rewarding careers. Registered apprenticeships are also so successful that 94 percent of apprentices are employed upon completion and earn an average starting wage of more than $70,000 a year.

Despite the growing demand for apprenticeship opportunities, Congress has not reauthorized the National Apprenticeship Act since it was first passed in 1937.

The legislation before us will invest $3.5 billion in our apprenticeship system; ensures consistency and quality across programs; increases opportunities for diverse groups of workers who have not traditionally been included; and expands registered apprenticeships in emerging sectors, such as healthcare, finance, and technology.

This investment alone would create approximately 1 million apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, and youth apprenticeships, and it would yield roughly $10.6 billion in benefits to taxpayers through higher tax revenues and decreased spending on social safety net programs.

Construction trades and their industry partners have long proven that the registered apprenticeship model works. It is long past time that we expand registered apprenticeship opportunities to benefit workers across other industries and across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC, November 5, 2020. Hon. Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott, Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Scott: This is to advise you that the Committee on the Judiciary has now had an opportunity to review the provisions in H.R. 8294, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020, that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction. I appreciate your consulting with us on those provisions.

In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar legislation is convened, the Judiciary Committee reserves the right to request an appropriate number of conferees to address any concerns with these or similar provisions that may arise in conference.

Please place this letter into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our committees. Sincerely, Jerrold Nadler, Chairman. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Education and Labor, Washington, DC, November 5, 2020. Hon. Jerrold Nadler, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Nadler: In reference to your letter of November 5, 2020, I write to confirm our mutual understanding regarding H.R. 8294, the ``National Apprenticeship Act of 2020.''

I appreciate the Committee on the Judiciary's waiver of consideration of H.R. 8294 as specified in your letter. I acknowledge that the waiver was granted only to expedite floor consideration of H.R. 8294 and does not in any way waive or diminish the Committee on the Judiciary's jurisdictional interests over this or similar legislation.

I would be pleased to include our exchange of letters on this matter in the committee report for H.R. 8294 and in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill to memorialize our joint understanding.

Again, thank you for your assistance with this matter. Very truly yours, Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott, Chairman.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 8294, which kills the ability for businesses and industry to fill in-demand jobs.

Republicans and Democrats agree that apprenticeships play a critical role in addressing our Nation's workforce needs and preparing workers for meaningful, well-paying careers; however, the narrow-minded approach taken by Democrats in H.R. 8294 doubles down on a system that limits apprenticeship opportunities.

Many who know me here in Congress know that I have advocated for these job-creating programs all my career. Nothing can prepare a student quite like on-the-job experience, and apprenticeships are a tried-and-true method of preparing students to enter the workforce with the skills they need to succeed.

Unfortunately, the potential for a strong bipartisan effort to expand beyond the existing registered apprenticeship model to reach more workers and industries has been eclipsed by the Democrats' typical partisan games.

While our economy continues to recover from COVID-19, workers and job creators need the flexibility to innovate. Republicans understand that employers, not Washington bureaucrats, know best what skills their employees require to excel in the workplace.

The Trump administration also recognizes the importance of employer- led innovation in the apprenticeship space and has taken important steps to expand and innovate work-based learning programs. More than 430 companies and organizations have signed the President's pledge to American workers, committing to providing more than 16 million new education and on-the-job learning opportunities for American students and workers.

Additionally, the Department of Labor is moving forward with Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs to give employers the flexibility to shape apprenticeship programs that will attract workers and prepare them for the 21st century.

We have seen real success stories unfold when we let employers innovate. Opportunity America and the Brookings Institution recently published a study on the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education, or FAME, an organization that connects educators, employers, and students with hands-on learning to strengthen the manufacturing industry.

The study found Kentucky FAME graduates, when compared to their non- FAME counterparts, earned up to 63 percent more 1 year after graduation. Five years after, FAME graduates earned $98,000, compared to $52,783 for non-FAME graduates.

This study represents not only a success story in Kentucky, but it uncovers a larger narrative. There is untapped potential in the apprenticeship space waiting to be unleashed because the existing registered model doesn't meet the need of many companies right now.

Instead of giving workers and employers more autonomy to create programs that are responsive to workforce needs, the Democrats' bill clings to an 80-year-old system that shuts the door on flexibility and innovation and enshrines union giveaways.

In a letter to Committee Republicans, John Pallasch, Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training at the Department of Labor, cautioned that ``if enacted, this bill would inhibit the ability of the Department to fulfill its mission in providing more Americans access to apprenticeships.'' Mr. Pallasch went on to warn that H.R. 8294 puts job-filling programs in jeopardy due to an ``excessive number of requirements that are overly prescriptive.''

Still, House Democrats want to make registered apprenticeships the only possible model under the National Apprenticeship Act. This approach is flawed. The numbers speak for themselves. In fiscal year 2019, 252,000 individuals entered apprenticeships, and only 81,000 graduated from the registered system.

It is obvious that we can and should do better, but Democrats are turning a blind eye to needed improvements that will allow more Americans to get back to work and achieve the American Dream.

The bill before us will force job creators to deal with overly prescriptive requirements, additional bureaucracy, and time-consuming paperwork. This stifling environment has discouraged new and small businesses from participating in the registered apprenticeship system for years now.

The majority claims that this legislation will create 1 million new apprenticeship programs simply by virtue of throwing more money at the registered system without solving the underlying problems that prevent employers from participating or allowing for alternative models. It seems the new definition of insanity is the Federal Government spending more taxpayer dollars on decades-old programs and expecting different results.

An all-of-the-above approach is the best way to connect more workers with apprenticeship opportunities so they can secure meaningful, well- paying careers. That is why Republicans on the Education and Labor Committee introduced a commonsense amendment during the bill's markup to unleash the full potential of apprenticeships and help fill in- demand jobs.

Among other provisions, it would allow the Department of Labor the flexibility to pursue other forms of work-based learning under the National Apprenticeship Act, including in response to COVID-19. It would reduce the paperwork burden on States by allowing them to submit State plans under the preexisting framework of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act rather than forcing them to establish a duplicative application process.

Rarely is more government intervention the solution, which is why the amendment would strike provisions in H.R. 8294 that would add to the existing bureaucracy in the form of advisory committees and interagency agreements. The amendment also provides States with more discretion over how they spend their money, instead of letting the Federal Government dictate where their dollars must go.

This amendment also makes it easier for more programs, and therefore, more apprentices to access the registered apprenticeship system by removing the requirement setting an uneven playing field between union and nonunion program sponsors for the ratios of apprentices to instructors. This particular provision is just another scheme by Democrats to force workers into unions. Unfortunately, this commonsense, forward-looking amendment was struck down on a party line vote by committee Democrats.

Thankfully, the full House will have the opportunity to vote on this amendment during floor consideration, and I hope Democrats will take this opportunity to adopt legislation that will actually increase work- based learning opportunities.

At a time when workers and job creators are working hard to overcome the challenges presented by COVID-19, we shouldn't close potential pathways to work. Apprenticeships can help put more Americans to work as we recover from the pandemic, but only if job creators are given the flexibility to innovate and develop high quality earn-and-learn programs. And the Democrat bill fails on that front.

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Adams), the chair of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, could you advise us how much time is remaining on both sides.

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Kaptur), a senior member of the Committee on Appropriations.

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Wild), a member of the Education and Labor Committee.

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Jackson Lee).

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for yielding and for his leadership, and I thank the gentlewoman from California for her leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I rise with great enthusiasm to support this outstanding legislation which is H.R. 8294, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020.

Mr. Speaker, 250,000 Americans have died from COVID-19. Today 720,000 Americans applied for unemployment insurance, and here we are today recognizing the pain that America is experiencing, but more importantly giving an opportunity for young Americans and others to be part of a major apprenticeship program which invests more than $3.5 billion over 5 years in expanding opportunities and access to registered apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship, and preapprenticeship.

I am glad to be an American. I am glad to be a union supporter, and one of the reasons is that I look over the landscape of my mother's work and my father's work, and I saw lives improve as unions gathered together to ensure that Americans could have a decent living, support their family, and provide opportunities for their children.

Here we are today investing $3.5 billion, but the return will be $10.6 billion in net benefits to the United States taxpayers. I believe that that is a real darn good return.

This legislation could not be more timely because of the record unemployment and because of the pain America is experiencing. This legislation also creates an additional 1 million new apprenticeship opportunities.

Let me tell you what I did before I flew up here to Washington. I visited Lone Star College--it hadn't opened yet--at the Fallbrook campus. But they understood what apprenticeship is all about. They have a logistics apprenticeship that is going to be part of their educational system. That will give people the opportunity in this whole new business of online selling and buying. Yes, it is innovative.

HCC apprenticeship program, Houston Community College, has electrical contractors, plumbers, masonry, ironworkers, asbestos workers, glaziers, painters, and stationary engineers. Let me tell you the real picture that we see of this issue of helping with apprenticeship, Mr. Speaker. These are the faces from all over our city.

And guess what?

According to the Houston Chronicle: ``Interested in a new career? Consider an apprenticeship. Union-sponsored programs build skills, careers.''

Mr. Speaker, I include that article in the Record. [From the Houston Chronicle] Interested in a New Career? Consider an Apprenticeship Union-Sponsored Programs Build Skills, Careers.

Houston Community College is restoring an old high school and converting it into college classrooms. And it's using some of its own apprentices to do it.

San Jacinto Senior High was built in 1960, and the community college is gutting it for new academic classrooms. The project started about a year ago, and is scheduled to be completed in October.

The eight apprentices--six plumbers and two pipe fitters-- are among the thousands of student workers in Houston who spend their days doing construction and their nights hitting the books. Houston's 11 union-sponsored programs, including the plumbers and the pipe fitters, last for five years; other programs, such as ironworkers and glaziers, last three years.

But once the newly minted journeymen and women graduate, they should have great skills and--if the economy cooperates--a great career path.

Chuck Fell, president of CFI Mechanical, which is installing the plumbing, heating and air conditioning in the new community college building, gave the group of apprentices a pep talk last week at the job site.

``You are learning skills,'' Fell said to the plumbers and pipe fitters who are spending their days assembling and installing the massive piping systems and four hours a night, two nights a week in school learning their craft.

Those skills can take you a long way, whether you opt to stay working in the craft or move up to foreman, superintendent or project manager, said Fell, who attributed his own success and that of nearly all of his project managers to their own apprenticeship training.

``You could be an owner of a company,'' said Fell, who became a plumber/pipe fitter apprentice in Orlando, Fla., after graduating from college with a degree in architecture.

He went to work for a mechanical contractor who suggested that to really learn the business, Fell needed to become an apprentice.

As part of that training, Fell spent two years at Walt Disney World's Epcot Center installing the mechanical and plumbing systems.

``Set your sights high,'' Doug Posey, director of apprenticeship programs for Houston Community College, told the apprentices. ``The opportunities are just incredible to excel and to do great things.''

Posey recalled how he put himself through college as a pipe fitter apprentice. He started his apprenticeship immediately after high school and eventually ended up with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Houston.

While the concept of apprenticing yourself to a master craftsman and learning a trade is centuries old, it's not exactly a well-known career path today. But two apprentices who are working on the CFI Mechanical project are glad they discovered the old-fashioned way to learn a skill.

Jaime Moncivais, a third-year apprentice, said he would never have heard about the program if it hadn't been for his cousin and his uncle, who are foremen at the job site. He was working for a small company for two years before he left to join the program.

Moncivais is 23 and earns about $43,000 a year, plus health insurance and retirement benefits, by working full time during the day. After work two nights a week, he attends class for four hours. That costs him $88 a semester.

``I'm enjoying it,'' said Moncivais, who says he's going to get his state plumbing license before he decides what's next.

So does his fellow apprentice Rudy Flores, who said he was drawn by the money. He estimates he earns about $50,000 a year.

Flores, a fifth-year apprentice who has already received his state plumbing license, found out about the apprenticeship training program while working for a plumber in Houston who was also a former apprentice.

He said he appreciates the intensive training of the program that sets him and the other apprentices apart.

``We like to see institutions put their money where their mouth is,'' said Richard Shaw, secretary-treasurer of the Harris County AFL-CIO. ``It sends a message that you ought to be training our students.''

Shaw has been critical of school districts and other community colleges for not hiring their own graduates when the schools need construction work.

Funding for the apprenticeship programs comes in part from the state of Texas. But the bulk of the money comes from contractors and union members.

For example, members of the plumbers union as well as plumbing contractors each contribute 55 cents per work hour for the training program.

HCC is the fiscal administrator of the union programs as well as the two nonunion programs that train building engineers and electrical workers.

Calvin Speight, business manager of Plumbers Local Union No. 68, said he has 60 apprentices starting in the fall and another 30 the following semester.

In the meantime, they're working as ``provisionals'' to see if they like the job. Apprentices must be 18 years of age and either have graduated from high school or have a general- equivalency degree.

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, could you advise how much time is remaining on both sides.

Mr. Speaker, while I am disappointed that some of my Republican colleagues now appear to be opposed to some parts of the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020, I still remain hopeful that we can come together to pass this critical legislation.

All of us agree that Congress must prioritize investing in apprenticeship opportunities. That is why the committee members on both sides of the aisle spent months working in good faith toward a bipartisan proposal.

The tried-and-true registered apprenticeship programs funded in this bill provide valuable credentials that are nationally recognized. We have heard about the new, untried program, the IRAP, industry- recognized apprenticeship programs. Unfortunately, those programs do not create valuable credentials and are not nationally recognized.

Our work on this is even more important now, considering the significant work we have to do because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Speaker, as we often have a strong voice in support of apprenticeship programs, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 offers us a real opportunity to actually match our words with action.

Mr. Speaker, I hope that today we can set our politics aside and make the investment in registered apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, and youth apprenticeships that our economy needs and our workers deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis) for her steadfast leadership on this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters from the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipe Fitters, the National Electrical Contractors Association, and Third Way in support of the legislation.

We write to urge the strong support and swift passage of H.R. 8294, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020. This bill would protect and expand union apprenticeship opportunities and codify the Office of Apprenticeship, helping to strengthen Registered Apprenticeships and protect the more than 359,000 men and women of the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA), and union members everywhere, from unscrupulous contractors looking to cut corners.

It is no secret that the safest, most highly-skilled, and most cost-effective workers come from Registered Apprenticeships like that of the United Association. We are immensely proud of the robust investments--more than $275 million annually--that the UA makes in training and apprenticeship programs to ensure our members are the most highly-trained and most highly-skilled craftspeople in the world. On the jobsite, that translates to not only fewer accidents and injuries, but more projects of the highest standard completed on time and on budget.

H.R. 8294 makes crucial changes to the Registered Apprenticeship program and sets firm standards for pre- apprenticeship programs, which have exponentially grown over the last several years; no longer can exploitative contractors prop up pre-apprenticeship programs without having clear and defined pathways into a Registered Apprenticeship program. Further, H.R. 8294 adds statutory protections and enshrines the Office of Apprenticeship into law, which will result in established funding streams that ensure the necessary oversight of the program and expand technical assistance to help Registered Apprenticeship opportunities reach new sectors. In addition, this bill strengthens the National Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship, meaning practitioners of Registered Apprenticeships in both industry and labor are given a voice to offer recommendations to further strengthen the program.

Our members clearly understand the ramifications of any proposed changes to our apprenticeship programs and standards. That is why this bill to reauthorize the National Apprenticeship Act and codify protections and funding sources for Registered Apprenticeships is critical for our members. We urge you to support this bill and ensure that the Building Trades Registered Apprenticeships remain the Gold Standard of the construction industry.

As always, feel free to reach out with any questions. The entire UA stands ready to assist in any way possible. Best, Russ Breckenridge,

United Association of Union Plumbers & Pipefitters, Legislative and Political Affairs. Calla Brown,

United Association of Union Plumbers & Pipefitters, Legislative and Political Affairs. National Electrical Contractors Association, November 17, 2020.

Dear Representative: On behalf of the nearly 4,000-member companies of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the $171 billion industry that brings power. light, and communication technology to communities across the U.S. I write to you in strong support of H.R. 8294, the ``National Apprenticeship Act of 2020,'' which would work to strengthen the time-tested apprenticeship model that has sustained the level of excellence our contractors exhibit.

For over 70 years, our electrical industry apprenticeship program, a joint labor/management venture between NECA and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, has allowed participants the opportunity to learn a skilled trade in the electrical industry while receiving fair wages, health care, and retirement benefits. With the combination of both on the job training (8,000 hours), classroom learning (900 hours), and remote virtual labs, our apprenticeship model offers the highest quality instruction at minimal cost to the apprentice or the Federal Government while producing the nation's finest electricians.

Even with this model firmly in place, more must be done. As our nation continues to grapple with the effects of the ongoing pandemic, our contractors find themselves in continuous need of more skilled workers to help rebuild this nation. NECA believes this legislation is a step in the right direction towards fulfilling this need. H.R. 8294 would work to bring greater funding to proven program models, expand the standards approval process, and bridge the gaps between apprenticeship programs and the secondary/postsecondary education system.

We at NECA look forward to monitoring the floor debate on this topic and encourage your support for H.R. 8294, the ``National Apprenticeship Act of 2020.'' Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Marco A. Giamberardino, Vice President, Government and Public Affairs. Third Way, Washington, DC, November 19, 2020. Hon. Bobby Scott, House Committee on Education and Labor, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Scott: We are pleased to see that the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 is receiving a vote this week on the House floor. With millions of Americans out of work due to the COVID--0919 pandemic, it is vital that policymakers work toward an inclusive economic recovery. That's why we encourage House lawmakers to pass the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020, which would provide a much-needed revamp of the nation's registered apprenticeship system. Apprenticeships can play a key role in our economic recovery and help people regain their footing in the job market.

Through your leadership, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 would take important steps to bolster apprenticeships across the country. It would broaden economic opportunity by expanding apprenticeships to women, people of color, and people facing barriers to employment. The legislation would help small and medium-sized businesses create apprenticeship programs. Further, it would modernize our nation's apprenticeship system by expanding apprenticeships in growing fields like information technology, advanced manufacturing, and health care.

The bill would also expand apprenticeships in part by relying on intermediaries, or apprenticeship hubs, which would bring together employers, education providers, unions, and other organizations in each state that will work in concert to expand apprenticeships. This is an approach Third Way has long advocated for, and we're thrilled that it's a key part of this legislation.

Through the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020, this country can promote apprenticeships as a key tool in our economic recovery and ensure everyone has pathways to in- demand, good-paying careers. We thank you, Chairwoman Susan Davis, and House Education and Labor Committee Democrats for their leadership on this legislation and urge Members to support it. Sincerely, Gabriel Horwitz, Senior Vice President, Third Way.
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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Pursuant to section 3 of House Resolution 1224, I rise to offer amendments en bloc No. 1.

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, these amendments generally ensure accessibility for those with disabilities, increase equity, and increase opportunities. They are not controversial, and I would hope they would be accepted.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition, though I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to see that Representative Stefanik's amendment was made in order.

Stefanik).

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated--and several have spoken on their amendments--I would hope that we would adopt the amendment en bloc, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that we aren't here debating a bloc of amendments that will work to address the failings of the underlying bill.

I am pleased to see at least one amendment in this group will help bring some flexibility to States.

I urge support of the en bloc consideration of these amendments, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 3 of House Resolution 1224, I rise to offer amendments en bloc No. 2.

These are expected to be noncontroversial. The amendments generally expand the industries to be affected by the opportunities for apprenticeships and adds veterans service organizations as partner organizations.

I hope that we would adopt these, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX of North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, this en bloc incorporates three amendments to the underlying bill that would enhance opportunities in the registered apprenticeship system.

The amendment offered by Mr. Kilmer of Washington and Mr. Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania amends the grant program within the underlying bill to promote offerings for computer science programs.

Modernizing the 80-year-old National Apprenticeship Act ought to include apprenticeship opportunities within a variety of sectors. Far too often, society paints apprenticeships as only applying to the ``trades.'' While there are certainly valuable pathways within those fields, we need to expand the horizons of what apprenticeships are capable of providing for workers. This is also why I think it is important to call these ``professions'' rather than the ``trades.'' A broader policy should not be limited by how it has traditionally been viewed or how we speak about it.

Computer science is a high-growth and promising career path leading to in-demand lucrative jobs for workers.

We hear too often that students are graduating without the technical skills they need to be successful in today's workforce. This amendment would support employers in recruiting and developing new employees with the computer science competencies they need to make up for these deficits and help fill a widening skills gap.

Similarly, the amendment offered by Ms. Titus of Nevada and cosponsored by several Members on both sides of the aisle adds hospitality and tourism to the list of nontraditional apprenticeship industries that are eligible for grants under this act.

If this grant program is to live up to its name and reflect the economy of the 21st century, we must break free from antiquated, narrow ideas of apprenticeships and bring more opportunities to promising sectors. The hospitality and tourism industries are a prime example of areas in which students would benefit from more on-the-job learning experiences and employer-led instruction than they would from a traditional college education.

Finally, the amendment offered by Mr. Lamb of Pennsylvania and Mr. Taylor of Texas includes veterans service organizations in several key places. Specifying VSOs as partner organizations for involvement in the registered apprenticeship system ensures the needs of veterans will be considered and incorporated into apprenticeship programs.

The amendment also highlights the VSOs as entities that should be contacted for promoting and raising awareness about apprenticeship opportunities, making sure our veterans have full access to and information about apprenticeship opportunities.

Because apprenticeships recognize and build on prior knowledge and skills, veterans stand to benefit greatly from these opportunities and should be engaged in the system as much as possible.

We want apprenticeships to support all workers seeking to access and enhance career opportunities. These amendments ensure the 21st Century Grant program expands opportunities in promising sectors and that the registered apprenticeship system engages veterans.

I support these amendments, encourage my colleagues to do the same, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I support the three amendments en bloc. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, along with these three amendments.

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