October 24, 2023

This morning, SWACCA sent a letter to the House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs opposing efforts to resurrect Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs) ahead of the subcommittee’s hearing tomorrow entitled, “The Power of Apprenticeships: Faster, Better Paths to Prosperous Jobs and Less Waste in Higher Education.”

In the letter, SWACCA explains that the introduction of IRAPs in industries like construction would undermine the significant private investments in registered apprenticeship programs made over decades by SWACCA members and other employers to ensure a high-quality workforce. As Congress continues to evaluate ways to improve workforce development, SWACCA urged the subcommittee to maintain the bipartisan consensus reached during the Trump Administration that IRAPs have no place in construction and highlights that the Trump-era final rule establishing IRAPs noted that there was “no reason to take the risk,” of IRAPs disrupting the registered programs in the construction industry that everyone agreed are well-established and well-functioning.

SWACCA has long advocated against IRAPs, including most recently working successfully to secure a final rule rescinding the previous Administration’s regulations establishing IRAPs in September 2022.

The full letter to the House Oversight Subcommittee is available here.

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