Bill · S. 531· Senate(119-S-531)
American Apprenticeship Act
- Introduced
- 2/11/2025
- Last activity
- 2/11/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Amy Klobuchar
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The American Apprenticeship Act aims to help States pay for the costs of pre-apprenticeships and related instruction for qualified apprenticeship programs. The Secretary of Labor may provide competitive grants to States to cover expenses like tuition, fees, and textbooks. These programs focus on industries that currently have a low percentage of apprenticeable occupations. States must create strategic plans to collaborate with industry and educational partners to launch or expand these opportunities. The bill also requires the Secretary to identify in-demand occupations that lack apprenticeship models.
Yes· 3 of 11
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?+5
The bill targets youth and those entering the workforce through new training pathways.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+5
The bill provides grants to defray the costs of tuition, fees, and textbooks for training.
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?+5
The bill directs states to increase apprenticeship opportunities for veterans.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Access to Specialized Training: The bill targets industries that represent less than 10 percent of apprenticeable occupations, which can help people enter nontraditional fields like information technology or health care (Section 2(a)(1)(B)).
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Financial Support for Education: Grants can be used to pay for tuition, fees, textbooks, and equipment, making it easier for individuals to afford necessary training (Section 2(b)(4)).
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Clear Pathways to Employment: Pre-apprenticeship programs are required to have formal agreements that allow successful participants to enter qualified apprenticeship programs directly (Section 2(a)(3)(iii)).
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Expanded Opportunities for Underserved Groups: The bill encourages states to increase opportunities for specific groups, including youth, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and minority groups (Section 2(b)(2)(F)).
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Credit for Skills Learned: Pre-apprenticeship programs can include agreements where participants earn credit recognized by postsecondary educational institutions for the skills they acquire (Section 2(a)(3)(iii)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Job Displacement Risks: The bill specifies that pre-apprenticeship training must be carried out in a manner that does not displace a paid employee (Section 2(a)(3)(ii)(B)).
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Limited Program Availability: Entry into a qualified apprenticeship program following a pre-apprenticeship is dependent on whether a place in the program is available (Section 2(a)(3)(iii)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+5Good For People With Disabilities+5Good For Veterans+5Good For Young Adults+5Good For Children+3Good For Hispanic Americans+3
- Economy And Finance
- Increases Job Creation+5Improves Economic Growth+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Disability Rights+4Improves Racial Equity+4
- Education And Technology
- Improves College Affordability+3
- 2/11/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Susan CollinsRepublican · Maine