Expanding Apprenticeships in America – Part 1

By Cotney Construction Law.

President Trump has recently proposed a one trillion dollar infrastructure bill in Washington that would make sure there are tariffs enforced on aluminum and steel.

One of the largest questions coming out of this proposal is will the United States be able to meet the production demand to be able to take on domestic projects? As mentioned in our past articles, there is a shortage of skilled laborers in the construction industry - more than half of the construction companies in the U.S. are experiencing difficulty employing adequately skilled employees.

This two-part article will discuss the executive order proposed by President Trump that is designed to create one million apprenticeship jobs over the next two years. The article will also address the details of the order and the impact it will have on the construction industry. If you are in need of a construction litigation attorney, please reach out to us today!

The Need for Construction Labor

With over 14 million workers in the construction industry, finding the next generation of workers doesn’t seem like it would be a challenge - but it will be. More than 10% of the American workforce, more than 20% of the current workers will be retiring and need to be replaced. Replacing these skilled workers will be difficult due to the fact that the current generation of millenials are more likely to attend a four-year university over trade school.

Washington’s Proposal to Expand Apprenticeships

President Trump proposed an executive order to expand apprenticeships in America on June 15, 2017. This proposal was created to “provide more affordable pathways to secure, high paying jobs by promoting apprenticeship and effective workforce development programs.” While this proposal is set to create one million apprenticeships in the next two years, it also is designed to limit and possibly eradicate “taxpayer support for ineffective workforce development programs.”

The Purpose of the Plan

The price of higher education has dramatically increased, and the federal workforce development programs in place are not producing the results that were hoped for. This executive order has been created to promote the option for those looking for a high-paying career without taking on the debt that comes with attending a four-year university. The long-term goal of this order is to limit the amount of young people who are incurring immense debt from loans and provide them with “relevant workplace experiences and opportunities to develop skills that employers value.”

Over the next decade, there are millions of skilled laborers that will be retiring and leaving vacancies in the construction industry. The construction industry will have to implement a solution and find a way to attract the millennial generation before the industry is left with over 300,000 jobs and no workers to fill them.Implementing Apprenticeships

With the little confidence that is left in federal work development programs currently, the executive order proposed by President Trump would create apprenticeship programs through already established third-party sectors. The sectors would include “trade and industry groups, companies, non-profit organizations, unions and joint labor-management organizations.” As stated in the executive order, these organizations would be overseen by the Secretary of Labor to ensure that they meet the standards to effectively integrate the new apprenticeships.

Promotional Funding of Apprenticeships

The Secretary of Labor will also be responsible for promoting the apprenticeships. This will be done by putting funding towards high schools, four-year colleges and community colleges. The key concept is to offer apprenticeship opportunities “in sectors that do not currently have sufficient apprenticeship opportunities.” By increasing youth involvement, the Secretary of Education will also be able to then introduce these programs into community colleges and four-year universities as “courses of study”.

Exploring Other Recruitment Avenues

After the educational institutions that do not currently have apprenticeship programs gain them, the order looks to not limit these apprenticeship programs to only those involved in the education sector. The order will expand to include members of the United States Military, people not currently enrolled in high school and even those who were once incarcerated.

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Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, not should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific fact pattern or situation.