In June 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Expanding Apprenticeships in America.” It calls for the creation of a special task force to identify strategies and proposals to promote apprenticeships in the United States. To meet this challenge, Department of Labor Secretary Alex Acosta brought together representatives from companies, labor unions, trade associations, educational institutions, and public agencies.

On May 10, 2018, the task force on apprenticeship expansion submitted a report to the president that provided a strategy to create more apprenticeships in the United States through an industry-recognized apprenticeship model. The centerpiece of the proposal is to build on the traditional registered apprenticeship concept by creating a pathway to new, industry-recognized apprenticeships.

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