Department of Labor Strengthens Registered Apprenticeship Program

The U.S. Department of Labor announced several actions designed to accelerate apprenticeship expansion as it considers halting the duplicative apprenticeship system that may reduce quality, strip protections for apprentices and cause confusion for industry. The steps follow a Biden administration announcement Wednesday.

The department will suspend its acceptance and review of new or pending applications for Standards Recognition Entities in the Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program. In addition, the department announced its intention to relaunch the federal Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship. These actions will follow an executive order that Biden signed on Feb. 17 that revokes executive order 13801 and directs federal agencies to consider taking steps promptly to rescind any orders, rules, regulations, guidelines or policies implementing that order.