Elise Stefanik: “I thank Ranking Member Foxx. Mr. Speaker, as our Nation recovers from the economic toll of the COVID pandemic and…”

“I thank Ranking Member Foxx. Mr. Speaker, as our Nation recovers from the economic toll of the COVID pandemic and strives to restore the livelihood of America's workers, we must take every opportunity to strengthen the pathways to meaningful, family-sustaining careers. The apprenticeship model of providing paid work experience, coupled with classroom instruction and on-the-job mentorship, is a proven approach to equip workers with the skills they need for lifelong success. Individuals who complete high-quality apprenticeship programs immediately enter into well-paying jobs and do so without the debt that often saddles our younger generation of workers. Despite this track record of success, apprenticeships remain the pathway to opportunity for far too few. Less than 3 percent of the workforce comes up through the apprenticeship system, and the vast majority of registered apprenticeship programs are concentrated in just a handful of industries. This stark reality leaves one of the strongest workforce development strategies vastly underutilized in developing talent for the modern economy. In order to achieve our common goal of expanding apprenticeships to a more expansive set of occupations, we must develop a system that is responsive to the demands of the 21st century workplace and accessible to employers in emerging industry sectors. Mr.…”