House Passes the National Apprenticeship Act and Includes Horsford Racial and Gender Equity Amendment

Press Release

On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 (H.R. 8294), which included an amendment led by Representative Steven Horsford (NV-04) to ensure equity among nontraditional apprenticeship populations -- including women, people of color, and individuals with barriers to employment -- in the national apprenticeship system.

"The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic downturn have had a disproportionate job-loss impact on women and workers of color, and the need for job training and strong apprenticeship programs is apparent now more than ever," said Congressman Horsford. "That is why I'm proud to support the National Apprenticeship Act and offer an amendment to ensure equity for nontraditional apprenticeship populations in the national Registered Apprenticeship (RA) system."

The National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 invests $3.5 billion over five years in expanding opportunities and access to Registered Apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships. The Horsford Amendment to the bill specifically supports the recruitment, retention, and completion of nontraditional apprenticeship populations, such as women, people of color, and other marginalized individuals who often face barriers to employment.

A summary of the bill can be found here and the full text can be found here.

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