On June 17, the U.S. Department of Labor sent its controversial National Apprenticeship System Enhancements final rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget for final review, the last step in the regulatory process before implementation. The proposed rule made significant and costly changes to government-registered apprenticeship programs that are likely to undermine the construction industry’s skilled labor shortage an existing workforce development programs. ABC will be meeting with the OIRA to express its serious concerns about the rule.

On March 18, ABC submitted 45 pages of comments on the U.S. Department of Labor’s proposed rule making significant and controversial revisions to the National Apprenticeship System, which will affect ABC members, chapters, apprentices and other industry stakeholders participating in government-registered apprenticeship programs, or GRAPs.

On March 6, Vice President Kamala Karris and U.S. Department of Labor Acting Secretary Julie Su announced in Madison, Wisconsin, President Joe Biden’s new Executive Order on Scaling and Expanding the Use of Registered Apprenticeships in Industries and the Federal Government and Promoting Labor-Management Forums with the stated goal of expanding the usage of government-registered apprenticeship programs by the federal government.

On Jan. 17, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor published a proposed rule that would make significant and controversial revisions to the National Apprenticeship System, which will affect ABC members, chapters, apprentices and other industry stakeholders participating in government-registered apprenticeship programs. Take action now by submitting comments through ABC’s Action Center and app to tell the DOL to withdraw or improve this costly new rule!

ABC is conducting an important survey of contractor members and chapter staff to gauge opinions on the U.S Department of Labor’s controversial proposed rule, which significantly overhauls regulations for government-registered apprenticeship programs. Ensuring as many members and chapters as possible respond to this survey will be vital so ABC can provide effective, informed comments that seek regulatory clarity and push back against concerning aspects of the DOL’s proposed rule. ABC has extended the survey deadline to Feb. 22 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

On Jan. 17, 2024, the Federal Register published the controversial 626-page U.S. Department of Labor proposed rule that would make significant revisions to the National Apprenticeship System that will affect ABC members, chapters, apprentices and other industry stakeholders participating in government-registered apprenticeship programs.

UPDATE: The DOL webinar has been postponed to a later date. On Jan. 30, 2024, from 2 to 3:15 p.m. ET, ABC is offering an ABC members-only webinar on the proposed rule where you will learn about the problematic and beneficial provisions of the rule and hear how you can best participate in regulatory and advocacy efforts to help improve this extensive regulation. Encourage ABC member and chapter education professionals, human resources, management professionals and other stakeholders to register to attend the webinar. In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration is sponsoring a webinar on Jan. 11, 2024, from 2 to 3 p.m. ET.

On Dec. 14, 2023, the Biden administration announced a U.S. Department of Labor proposed rule that would make significant and controversial revisions to the National Apprenticeship System. On Dec. 18, ABC issued a press release in response to the ABC-opposed proposal.