Trump Apprenticeship Program: Some Answers, Many Questions

Labor Department information about its new nationwide apprenticeship program has unions and trade groups apprehensive.

Establishing the department’s Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program has been a central plank of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta’s tenure since he took the helm of the agency. IRAP was born out of President Donald Trump’s Executive Order to Expand Apprenticeship in America.

Unions, employers, and various trade groups were initially enthusiastic, but based on what the DOL has released so far on what IRAP might look like, that enthusiasm has turned into uncertainty. The DOL is looking to unveil the full IRAP regulatory proposal in the new ...