National Apprenticeship Act of 2020

Floor Speech

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Mr. CROW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my amendment.

The registered apprenticeship system is our nation's most successful federal workforce program and has created a pathway for millions of Americans to achieve the American Dream since its creation more than 80 years ago.

With more than 600,000 apprenticeships nationwide, including more than 6,000 in my home state of Colorado, apprenticeships provide workers with paid, on-the-job training, and more than 94 percent are employed upon completion.

However, while this time-proven apprenticeship model is successful, we can and must do more to expand and equip it to meet the demands of our changing workforce.

The National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 would do that by greatly expanding upon the apprenticeship system and investing more than $3.5 billion to create nearly 1 million new apprenticeship opportunities over the next five years in nontraditional industries.

And my amendment will ensure that the education sector is included in this expansion.

Across the United States, there is a growing demand for qualified teachers. Schools--particularly low income schools--are struggling to hire and retain qualified teachers, which further perpetuates a cycle of inequality that harms students, teachers, and the public education system as a whole.

Including the education sector in the expansion of the registered apprenticeship system would address this crisis and help build a pipeline of qualified teachers that are prepared to teach on day one. As a product of public schools, I know the lasting impact teachers can have on students. Improving American education by investing in our teachers should be a top priority.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

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