February 17, 2021

SWACCA joins the President in urging the U.S. Senate to pass the National Apprenticeship Act

Washington, D.C., — Today the leadership of the Signatory Wall and Ceiling Contractors Alliance (SWACCA) praised President Biden for reaffirming his commitment to expanding the registered apprenticeship system by reversing Executive Order (E.O.) 13801 on industry recognized apprenticeship programs (IRAPs), reinstating the National Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships, and supporting passage of the National Apprenticeship Act.  The President’s actions will ensure registered apprenticeship programs, like those sponsored by SWACCA and its union partners, continue as a pathway to the middle class for a new generation of American workers. 

“We appreciate the priority President Biden is placing on expanding the benefits of registered apprenticeship programs,” said SWACCA President Scott Casabona. “He is doing it the right way, by ending the IRAP experiment and making clear that quality apprenticeship programs can be expanded without sacrificing training standards and other protections for apprentices and their employers. SWACCA is also proud to join President Biden in urging the U.S. Senate to approve the National Apprenticeship Act because it supports his efforts to help workers get the skills they need without the burden of student debt.”

In addition to rescinding E.O. 13801, President Biden has directed the Labor Department to consider a new rulemaking to reverse IRAPs and to immediately slow support for these programs by pausing approval of new Standards Recognition Entities (SREs) and ending new funding for existing SREs.  SWACCA has long advocated against IRAPs because they do not ensure high-quality skills training or important protections for participating workers.

“The President’s actions today are critical to ensuring America has the workforce it needs and that our young people, veterans, and displaced workers have the opportunities they deserve as our economy recovers from the pandemic and turns to rebuilding schools, hospitals, water treatment facilities, and other critical infrastructure,” Casabona said. 

The Signatory Wall and Ceiling Contractors Alliance (SWACCA) is a national organization of union wall and ceiling contractors committed to working in partnership with our workforce to provide the highest-quality, most efficient construction services possible to our customers.  SWACCA prides itself on representing companies that fully embrace their commitment to their customers and their employees.  This commitment is seen in our financial and professional investment in our joint-labor management training programs with our union partners. 

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