Lynchburg Reporter

Congressman Bob Good from Virginia has introduced the Developing America’s Workforce Act. This proposed legislation aims to reinstate apprenticeship policies from the Trump Administration, intending to create skilled workers for employers without increasing college debt.

“Colleges and universities are failing our students, saddling them with thousands of dollars in student loan debt and sending them into the workforce unprepared,” said Good. “My legislation seeks to provide another way—one that avoids an average of $28,000 in college debt, provides a much-needed boost for American employers in desperate need of skilled worker, and strengthens the economy.”

Peter Holland, Federal Affairs Director at the Foundation for Government Accountability, expressed support for the bill. "Every young person deserves the chance to achieve the American Dream, and for many, that means gaining skills through apprenticeships, not a four-year degree," he stated. "Rep. Good’s Developing America’s Workforce Act will expand industry-led programs our economy and workforce desperately need. Generating more opportunities to train skilled workers will ensure employers, not the government, can create family-supporting jobs and supercharge the American economy."

The act proposes several measures: codifying President Trump’s Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs), reinstating a rule allowing third-party Department of Labor-approved entities to oversee private sector apprenticeship programs, assisting individuals in obtaining industry-specific skills through on-the-job learning and classroom instruction, providing participants with an industry-recognized credential upon completion of the program, and offering more flexibility for workers to develop job-relevant skills.

The bill is cosponsored by Representative Mary Miller from Illinois and supported by the Foundation for Government Accountability.