House Passes Apprenticeship Legislation

Many provisions in H.R. 447 are welcomed by the building industry, mainly those giving increased flexibility and options for registered apprenticeship program structuring. This would help alleviate one of the biggest challenges to running skills-based training programs in the residential construction industry. It also would help the Home Builder Institute (HBI) tailor its curriculum offerings to different populations where long-duration programs are harder for small businesses.

Additionally, the National Apprenticeship Act would expand technical assistance to training providers and offer robust funding and grant opportunities to support the bill’s ambitious goals for programming growth under the national apprenticeship system.

The National Association of Home Builders stated it would like to see additional improvements made to the bill and plans to work with lawmakers as the legislation moves to the U.S. Senate.