Norcross, Fitzpatrick, Heinrich introduce bipartisan, bicameral bill to increase construction pre-apprenticeships

WASHINGTON — Congressmen Donald Norcross (D-NJ) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), co-chairs of the Bipartisan Building Trades Caucus, have introduced the bipartisan Pre-Apprenticeships To Hardhats (PATH) Act to create, fund, and sustain pre-apprenticeship programs for all building and construction trades. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) is leading companion legislation in the Senate.

Pre-apprenticeships are a proven strategy for building a workforce ready to meet industry demands and will instruct participants on everything from basic literacy and math to work-readiness skills that can be tailored to the needs of students and labor markets.

The PATH Act will support more quality pre-apprenticeship programs and build a workforce ready to fill critical construction jobs by providing grants to be used for training, curriculum development, evaluations, and more. Eligible recipients for grants would include employers, unions, state and local workforce development boards, community-based organizations, postsecondary educational institutions, school districts, state education agencies, high schools, small businesses, and veterans’ service organizations.

“Young people need to know that expensive four-year degrees are not the only way to earn a good living and provide value to your community,” Norcross said. “America needs to build more of everything from housing to energy to infrastructure, and pre-apprenticeships are the perfect entry point for the high-paying, fulfilling careers available right now. My own electrical apprenticeship kickstarted a life I’m extremely proud of and serves as my inspiration to create more of those opportunities for today’s workforce, too.”

“A highly-trained, skilled trade workforce is essential to job creation and economic growth,” Fitzpatrick said. “As co-chair of the Congressional Building Trades Caucus, I am proud to join this bipartisan effort to further invest in apprenticeship programs, particularly in underserved communities nationwide.”

“My Pre-Apprenticeships to Hardhats Act will help workers gain the skills and training they need to succeed in high-demand careers they can build their families around. These are the kinds of jobs that allow folks to put food on the table and get ahead,” Heinrich said. “I remain committed to solutions that expand pathways to in-demand jobs, grow our local workforce, and ensure New Mexico has the skilled workers it needs for the future.”

The PATH Act is endorsed by North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU).

“North America’s Building Trades Unions understand the training and education pathways required to produce a highly-skilled workforce, and we fully support apprenticeship readiness programs,” said Sean McGarvey, president of North America’s Building Trades Unions. “The efforts in the PATH Act not only open the pipelines of the skilled trades to underserved communities across America, they are essential to securing a strong foundation for America’s middle-class and ensuring national and local economic growth.”

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

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