Members of the Task Force – representing business, labor, trade and industry groups, educational institutions, and public officials – approved the report during their fifth and final full meeting.
“President Trump’s Administration is committed to bridging the skills gap by creating apprenticeships that reflect the needs of jobs creators,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. “The Task Force established through the President’s Executive Order brought together varied perspectives to create a strategy for expanding apprenticeships across all industries. I am grateful to the Task Force members for sharing expertise and insight that shaped this final report, which provides a road map to help Americans learn the skills they need for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”
“Apprenticeships give students proven and meaningful ways to gain skills and kickstart fulfilling careers,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. “I’m excited by the proposals the Task Force on Apprenticeships is putting forward to the President. We must continue our efforts to strengthen workforce readiness and increase the number of pathways available to students after high school.”
“The current half a million apprentices are simply not enough to fill the more than 6 million unfilled jobs at U.S. companies in today’s labor market,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “This thoughtful, practical strategy will make 2018 an inflection point that helps solve today’s labor market challenges and creates the workforce of the future.”
Apprenticeship programs, when implemented effectively, provide workers with a career path featuring paid on-the-job instruction, skills development, and mentorship, while at the same time providing employers with a steady source of highly trained and productive workers. These programs have the potential to grow into a critical and successful component of America’s workforce strategy, but are currently underutilized.
To help more Americans learn relevant skills for family-sustaining jobs, the President’s Executive Order called for the Secretary of Labor to establish a Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion. The mission of the Task Force was to identify strategies and proposals to promote apprenticeships, especially in sectors where apprenticeships are insufficient.
Click here to view the Task Force’s report.
