Why it Matters

The House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a congressional apprenticeship hearing on June 24, 2026, examining whether modern apprenticeships can solve America's talent shortage. The Trump administration backs apprenticeships through executive order but has simultaneously canceled millions in grant funding for the programs, creating a contradiction that drew scrutiny from lawmakers.

The hearing featured four witnesses showcasing apprenticeship models across collision repair, education, research, and electrical trades. The tension was unmistakable: while Republicans and Democrats agreed apprenticeships matter, they diverged sharply on whether the Trump administration's approach will help or harm expansion.

Background

The U.S. has approximately 593,000 active apprentices, yet the number has only doubled since 2014. Millions of Americans are seeking pathways into long-lasting careers, while employers search for workers with key skills and the ability to adapt to a rapidly changing labor market. Researchers estimate that 40 percent of the skills required for today's jobs will change over the next decade.

Apprenticeships and workforce work-based learning allow individuals to earn while they learn, gain hands-on experience, and build skills that employers need. Nine out of ten apprentices continue to be employed upon completing their registered apprenticeship program. Registered apprentices earn an average starting wage of approximately 80,000 dollars a year.

President Trump issued an executive order directing the Labor Department to deliver a plan to reach and surpass one million new active apprentices. Yet the Trump administration paused or canceled millions of dollars in grants for apprenticeship programs and research. Reach University had its apprenticeship grant canceled. A North Carolina-based nonprofit offering pre-apprenticeship training to women and underemployed demographics lost its funding.

The contradiction is central to understanding this hearing. The administration wants more apprentices but is cutting the programs that create them. House Republicans' recent spending bill includes only a slight increase for apprenticeships, undercutting the stated goal.

The Witnesses

Four witnesses brought data showing strong outcomes but each faced different obstacles.

Jaime Angell, Senior Director of Apprenticeships and Transitional Programs at Caliber Collision in Morris, Colorado, discussed how the nation's largest collision repair company operates a technician apprenticeship program supporting between 800 and 1,800 apprentices at any given time. A Texas Workforce Commission study found that over a career, an apprentice in Caliber's program generates just over 500,000 dollars in additional lifetime earnings compared to what they would have earned without completing the program. Society gains more than 3.2 million dollars across each apprentice's working life from Caliber's program.

By the end of 2024, Caliber's program had served almost a thousand apprentices in Texas alone, supporting 22.1 million dollars in added income and nearly 300 jobs across the state.

Joe Ross, President of Reach University of Columbus, Ohio, represents a newer model. Reach University operates an apprenticeship university model that integrates full-time work with accredited degree attainment. Reach University students earn a degree while working full-time, graduating with no debt and years of professional experience. The university targets paraprofessionals in education, such as teacher's aides pursuing teaching degrees while employed. Ross's testimony highlighted how apprenticeship-degree programs combine classroom instruction with paid, structured on-the-job learning.

John Ladd, Senior Advisor in the Center for Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning at Jobs for the Future in Washington, D.C., brought historical perspective. Ladd ran the Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship across four presidential administrations, both Republican and Democratic. He emphasized that quality standards in registered apprenticeships ensure apprentices build valuable skills while earning a salary and benefits and receive a credential valued in the labor market.

Natasha Sherwood, Director of Chapter and Workforce Development for the Independent Electrical Contractors in Tampa, Florida, spoke for the construction trades. The Independent Electrical Contractors operates one of the largest non-union electrical apprenticeship networks in the country, training thousands of electricians annually. IEC programs have high completion rates and strong wage outcomes comparable to union programs.

The Hearing

Rep. Burgess Owens, the Republican chair of the subcommittee, opened by stating that "the future of workforce development depends on creating flexible, employer-driven pathways that help Americans earn, learn, and succeed." Owens questioned Angell about how students should evaluate college versus apprenticeship pathways, asked Ross whether work experience could increasingly serve as academic credit, and pressed Sherwood on persistent misconceptions about apprenticeships.

Rep. Alma Adams, the Democratic ranking member of the subcommittee, did not publicly challenge the witnesses but her party's messaging signaled concern. The @EdWorkforceDems account tweeted on the hearing date that "President Trump's reckless economic policies have made it harder for working families to stay afloat. Investing in our Registered Apprenticeship program will give workers the training and skills they need to get ahead and earn while they learn."

The real divide between what the administration says and what it does. Witnesses praised apprenticeships. Owens praised apprenticeships. But the grant cancellations and minimal budget increases told a different story.

Political Stakes

For Reach University, the canceled grant was devastating. The organization had built its model on federal support and now faces uncertainty. For the broader apprenticeship sector, the mixed signals create risk. If the Trump administration truly wants one million new apprentices, cutting funding works against that goal.

For Democrats, the hearing offered a platform to highlight the contradiction. For Republicans, it created awkwardness. Owens and his colleagues want to champion apprenticeships, but their party's budget choices suggest otherwise.

The labor movement is a key driver and funder of registered apprenticeships. Some Republicans who claim to support registered apprenticeships attack the labor movement, creating another tension. Democrats have supported billions in new funding to increase access to registered apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeships.

The Broader Context

Beyond the immediate hearing, a larger debate simmers. The Trump administration's April 2025 executive order on skilled trade jobs suggests the administration is revamping efforts to advance Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs, or IRAPs. The Biden administration had rescinded IRAPs in 2022, favoring Registered Apprenticeships instead.

Critics argue that the IRAP approach may undermine the recent growth of high-quality Registered Apprenticeship programs and lead to a proliferation of low-quality programs with negative outcomes for apprentices. The Iron Workers union warned that IRAPs will flood the industry with cheap, unearned certificates, devaluing union apprenticeship credentials in comparison.

Without quality standards, workers can become vulnerable to predatory and ineffective programs. This is where Ladd's testimony mattered most. His experience across administrations provided credibility to the argument that standards matter.

What's Next

The hearing was part of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development's broader agenda on workforce development policy. No immediate votes or follow-up hearings were announced, but the testimony will likely inform future appropriations debates and any legislation addressing apprenticeships or workforce development.

The Trump administration's executive order directing the Labor Department to develop a plan for one million apprentices remains pending. That plan, combined with budget proposals and potential IRAP guidance, will shape what comes next.

The Bottom Line

Congress agrees apprenticeships work. It disagrees on whether the Trump administration's approach will deliver what it promises.

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