Apprenticeship

The Trump Administration’s Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program Regulations drew an outpouring of praises and criticisms.

The proposal laid out the most specific details about how the program will operate. Third party groups responsible for approving programs will be called Standards Recognition Entities. Recognition by these agencies will not equal registration, rather it will be an additional step.

While Republicans welcomed the policy, Congressional Democrats called the Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program regulations ‘’a violation’’ of the National Apprenticeship Act. 

Read more about the proposed Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Program here.

Adult Education

A new guidance clarifies when Federal Adult Education and Family Literacy Act funding may be used for credentialing costs in integrated education and training.

Certifications such as occupational safety and health will be allowed, while others such as work readiness will be disallowed.

The new guidance states that adult education funding cannot pay for costs related to general skills certificates that are work readiness credentials.

Contact here, to obtain a copy of OCTAE 19-2, the Allowable Use of Adult Education and Family Literacy Act Funds for Integrated Education and Training Programs.

Future of Work

Cities with educational attainment deficits and large shares of jobs held by African Americans and Latino workers are at risk of Automation, finds a report issued by groups representing minority elected officials.

The report investigated the communities of Columbia, S.C.; Gary, Indiana.; and Long Beach, California.

The researchers identified a range of forecasts., in the three cities, predicting that 32 percent to 46 percent of the jobs held by African Americans are risk of Automation, as are 41 percent to 50 percent of the jobs held by Hispanics.

Find the report here.

Workforce Development Month

September is Workforce Development Month and the Senate will soon consider a funding bill that would invest in workforce and education programs that help workers prepare for jobs at the backbone of our economy – those that require some postsecondary education but not a four-year degree. These programs have helped prepare millions of nurses, carpenters, computer support specialists and machinists across the country for their careers.

Nonetheless, Congress has, since 2001, passed spending bills that have cut funding for our public workforce system by 40 percent, for career and technical education by nearly 30 percent and for adult basic education by nearly 15 percent.

Read more here.