Highlights:
2017: Trump Issued An Executive Order That Moved The Role Of Developing Government-Funded Apprenticeship Programs From The Labor Department To Third-Party Private Entities. According to Politico, “President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that will cut back the federal government’s role in creating and monitoring apprenticeship programs, a move that the White House says will help fill vacant jobs. The executive order, which Trump was expected to sign in conjunction with an 11 a.m. speech, is another anti-regulatory victory for business interests. It will move the role of developing government-funded apprenticeship programs from the Labor Department to third-party private entities — including trade groups, labor unions and businesses. The third parties will set their own bar for success and submit their metrics to the Labor Department for approval.” [Politico, 6/15/17]
Democrats Said The Order Would Not Allow For Proper Quality Controls. According to Politico, “Two years after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that he said would ‘create apprenticeships for millions of our citizens,’ not a single apprenticeship program has been created under the program, nor a single person trained. […] The idea was criticized from the start by Democrats, who said it lacked a proper mechanism for quality control. Under the proposed system, they said, the government would never be able to verify the effectiveness of the programs it was funding.” [Politico, 6/20/19]
Republicans Reportedly Complained That Trump’s Order Did Not Offer Sufficient Incentives For Businesses. According to Politico, “Two years after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that he said would ‘create apprenticeships for millions of our citizens,’ not a single apprenticeship program has been created under the program, nor a single person trained. […] Some Republicans, meanwhile, privately complained that the model didn’t offer sufficient incentive for businesses to participate.” [Politico, 6/20/19]
2019: Trump’s Policy Led To No Apprenticeship Programs Created And Not A Single Person Was Trained. According to Politico, “Two years after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that he said would ‘create apprenticeships for millions of our citizens,’ not a single apprenticeship program has been created under the program, nor a single person trained.” [Politico, 6/20/19]
The Trump Administration Abruptly Cancelled An Announcement Of $150 Million In Funding For The Program. According to Politico, “There followed a year of radio silence. In February, DOL leaders abruptly canceled a planned Presidents’ Day announcement of $150 million in funding for the industry-recognized program, causing some inside the building to question whether the rule would ever see the light of day.” [Politico, 6/20/19]