Castro, Spanberger Re-Introduce Bill to Expand Apprenticeships, Partner With Higher Education and Industry

Press Release

Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), member of the House Education and Labor Committee, and Congresswomen Abigail Spanberger (VA-07) re-introduced the Strengthening Our Youth Apprenticeships Act. This legislation creates an interagency agreement between the Secretaries of Labor and Education that would provide publicly available guidance and best practices to support youth apprenticeship programs in both secondary and postsecondary education programs. The bill also funds a necessary expansion of apprenticeship programs, including partnerships with community colleges and industry.

"Apprenticeships are an important path for young people to learn new skills and start a potential career, and they deserve the opportunity to gain college credit at the same time. The Strengthening Our Youth Apprenticeships Act will help build a strong infrastructure of opportunity in America for the next generation to reach their dreams," said Rep. Castro. "A strong economy starts with a strong workforce -- that's why it's critical for the Department of Labor and Education to work together to strengthen apprenticeships and for Congress to expand these programs to more young people."

"Across Virginia, local apprenticeships provide opportunities for the next generation to learn the skills necessary to secure high-skilled jobs and stay competitive in a global economy. As we work toward our long-term economic recovery, we need to make sure high school and college students are able to access these programs," said Rep. Spanberger. "Our federal agencies should work together toward achieving this goal, and our bipartisan legislation builds much-needed collaboration between the Department of Labor and the Department of Education. I look forward to building stronger, sustained relationships between community colleges, high schools, and local businesses."

Background:

Apprenticeships are a growing interest for both businesses, schools, and states. The Registered Apprenticeship program at the Department of Labor has grown immensely in the past few years, and in San Antonio, schools like Alamo Colleges and UTSA, are pursuing apprenticeship programs in order to better guide students toward much-needed, middle-class jobs. This youth apprenticeship bill will help high school students start thinking about different career options and ensure high schools have the tools they need to guide their students toward an industry-need, middle class career. Additionally, since the bill links high schools with community colleges, students can start obtaining college credits that they can use if they decide to pursue higher education. This legislation is endorsed by New America, Advance Career Technical Education, and the Association for Career and Technical Education.

You can view the full legislative text here.

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