Murray: Trump Administration Apprenticeship Proposal is “A Giveaway to Private Corporations and For-Profit Colleges”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee today released the following statement on the Department of Labor’s proposed rule to create a system of duplicative, lower-quality “industry-recognized apprenticeship programs.” The proposed rule stems from an executive order signed by President Trump in 2017 to create non-registered apprenticeship programs that would undermine existing, high-quality registered apprenticeship programs that are benefitting businesses and workers alike.

“This is not a serious proposal, it’s a giveaway to private corporations and for-profit colleges without any guarantee that apprentices are getting quality training opportunities, are being paid fairly for the work they do, or are working in safe conditions. Registered apprenticeships have a proven track record of training workers for 21st century jobs and a long history of bipartisan support, so if President Trump is sincere about investing in our workforce, he should abandon this vanity project and invest in and expand registered apprenticeship programs.”

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