Introduced in Senate — S. 235

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 235

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 23, 2025

Mr. Heinrich (for himself and Mr. Moran) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Labor to enter into contracts with industry intermediaries for purposes of promoting the development of and access to apprenticeships and related pre-apprenticeships for secondary school students.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

Section 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Apprenticeship Pathways Act of 2025.

Sec. 2. Definitions

In this Act:

(1) Apprenticeship

The term apprenticeship means an apprenticeship registered under the National Apprenticeship Act.

(2) Disability

The term disability has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102).

(3) Disconnected youth

The term disconnected youth means any individual who—

(A)

has attained age 16 but not age 25 on the date of selection for an apprenticeship;

(B)

is not regularly attending any secondary school, area career and technical education school (as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (29 U.S.C. 2302)), or postsecondary school during the 6-month period preceding the date of selection for the apprenticeship; and

(C)

is not regularly employed during such 6-month period.

(4) Early college high school

The term early college high school has the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

(5) Educational service agency

The term educational service agency has the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

(6) High school

The term high school has the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

(7) Industry intermediary

The term industry intermediary means an entity that—

(A)

in order to accelerate apprenticeship program development, to help establish new apprenticeship partnerships at the national, State, or regional level, and to promote access to apprenticeships for secondary school students, serves as a conduit between—

(i)

an employer; and

(ii)

an entity such as—

(I)

an industry partner;

(II)

the Department of Labor; and

(III)

a State agency responsible for workforce investment activities;

(B)

demonstrates a capacity to work with employers and other key partners to identify workforce trends and foster public-private funding to establish new apprenticeship programs; and

(C)

is an entity such as—

(i)

a business;

(ii)

a business-related nonprofit organization, including industry associations and business federations;

(iii)

a private organization functioning as a workforce intermediary for the express purpose of serving the needs of businesses, including community-based nonprofit service providers and industry-aligned training providers; or

(iv)

a consortium of any of the entities described in clauses (i) through (iii).

(8) Local educational agency

The term local educational agency has the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

(9) National apprenticeship Act

The term National Apprenticeship Act means the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the “National Apprenticeship Act”; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.).

(10) Pre-apprenticeship program

The term pre-apprenticeship program means a training model or program that—

(A)

prepares individuals for acceptance into an apprenticeship program;

(B)

meets the standards, for such a model or program, established under the National Apprenticeship Act; and

(C)

is registered under the National Apprenticeship Act.

(11) Region

The term region has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).

(12) Secondary school

The term secondary school has the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

(13) STEM

The term STEM means science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Sec. 3. Secondary education apprenticeship contracts

(a) In general

The Secretary of Labor (referred to in this section as the Secretary), in consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall enter into contracts with industry intermediaries for the purpose of promoting the development of and access to apprenticeships for secondary school students, from amounts appropriated under subsection (f).

(b) Eligibility

To be eligible to be awarded a contract under this section, an industry intermediary shall submit an application to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as may be required by the Secretary, that identifies proposed activities designed to further the purpose described in subsection (a).

(c) Selection

(1) In general

The Secretary shall award contracts under this section based on competitive criteria to be prescribed by the Secretary.

(2) Priority consideration for contracts

In awarding contracts under this section, the Secretary shall give priority consideration to intermediaries proposing contracts targeting—

(A)

engagement with students from secondary schools in which 40 percent of the students the local educational agency serves are eligible for free or reduced price lunches under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.);

(B)

engagement with students served by—

(i)

rural high-need local educational agencies with locale codes of 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43; or

(ii)

educational service agencies serving rural high-need local educational agencies with locale codes of 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43;

(C)

engagement with students residing in a Census tract that is a high poverty area, as defined in section 681.260 of title 20, Code of Federal Regulations, or a successor regulation;

(D)

engagement with disconnected youth;

(E)

engagement with an Indian child, as defined in section 4 of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 ( 25 U.S.C. 1903);

(F)

increasing participation of women in building trades and technology; and

(G)

engagement with individuals with disabilities.

(d) Use of funds

(1) General activities

An industry intermediary that is awarded a contract under this section may only use the funds made available through such contract to carry out activities designed to further the purpose described in subsection (a), including—

(A)

facilitating the development and provision of apprenticeships and related pre-apprenticeships, in the occupations of high need listed in subsection (e), through collaborations with public and private entities that provide job-related instruction, such as on-the-job training, pre-apprenticeship training, and technical training;

(B)

encouraging entities to establish such apprenticeships and related pre-apprenticeships;

(C)

identifying, assessing, and training applicants for such apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships who are—

(i)

enrolled in secondary school;

(ii)

enrolled in an early college high school that focuses on education in STEM subjects;

(iii)

individuals age 18 or older who meet appropriate qualification standards; or

(iv)

enrolled in a pre-apprenticeship, or a training initiative for an apprenticeship, that allow adults to concurrently increase academic and workforce skills through proven, evidence-based models that connect all learning to the specific apprenticeship involved and significantly accelerate completion of preparation for the apprenticeship;

(D)

tracking the progress of such applicants who participate in such apprenticeships;

(E)

orientation and training prior to the apprenticeship, and ongoing support;

(F)

recruitment and retention of employer partners;

(G)

administrative and operational activities;

(H)

coaching, including development of life skills, social-emotional skills, soft skills, employability skills, and workforce readiness;

(I)

wraparound support services, including monitoring of academic progress of the apprentice, and provision to the apprentice of financial incentives of payments for child and family care costs (such as transportation assistance or a gas card), and of free tutoring and career services (which may include benefit counseling), in order to create a community of apprentices participating in the activities described in subsection (b); and

(J)

paying 50 percent of the wages of an apprentice for the duration of the apprenticeship involved.

(2) Goods and services

An industry intermediary that receives a contract under this section may use the funds made available through such contract for goods and services, including—

(A)

related educational goods and services, including provision of tuition assistance, books, and fees associated with any related instruction;

(B)

equipment and tools related to the apprenticeship occupation;

(C)

clothing, including construction boots, kneepads, hard hats, and visibility vests, related to the apprenticeship occupation; and

(D)

technology and internet access.

(e) Occupations of high need

The occupations of high need referred to in subsection (d)(1)(A) are occupations that relate to—

(1)

building trades, including—

(A)

carpentry;

(B)

plumbing;

(C)

welding;

(D)

electrician occupations;

(E)

machinist occupations;

(F)

mechanic occupations;

(G)

pipe fitting;

(H)

heating, ventilation, and air conditioning occupations;

(I)

operating engineer and equipment operator occupations;

(J)

cement mason occupations;

(K)

sheet metal work occupations;

(L)

boilermaker occupations;

(M)

solar installation; and

(N)

roofing;

(2)

architectural and engineering drafting and design;

(3)

health care, including the occupations of—

(A)

emergency medical technicians;

(B)

phlebotomists;

(C)

pharmacy technicians;

(D)

respiratory therapists;

(E)

home health aides;

(F)

radiologic technologists;

(G)

licensed practical nurses;

(H)

nurse technicians; and

(I)

laboratory technicians;

(4)

teaching, including early childhood educators;

(5)

technology, including—

(A)

computer science occupations;

(B)

fabrication laboratory technician;

(C)

telecommunications occupations;

(D)

data science occupations; and

(E)

product management; and

(6)

manufacturing.

(f) Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as may be necessary for the purposes of carrying out this section.