June 15, 2017

Rep. Takano Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order on Apprenticeships

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, released the following statement in response to President Trump’s executive order on apprenticeships, which undermines the Department of Labor’s role in ensuring apprenticeship programs use taxpayer money effectively and responsibly.  

“The Department of Labor’s oversight role has been critical to ensuring that workers and taxpayers are receiving the full benefits of apprenticeship programs. The executive order signed by President Trump today, which allows private businesses to certify their own apprenticeship programs instead of seeking DOL certification, undermines that oversight role and opens the system up to fraud and abuse. The success of apprenticeship programs should not be measured by speed or volume, but by effectiveness and outcomes.

“Despite his kind words for apprenticeships and worker training, President Trump’s budget proposed a 40 percent cut in funding for worker training programs, which are already desperately underfunded. Unfortunately, this was just another made-for-TV event that will do nothing to help American workers.”

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Josh Weisz, 202-225-2305