Secretary Acosta Announces National Apprenticeship Week For November 13-19, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta today announced that the third annual National Apprenticeship Week will be held November 13-19, 2017. Apprenticeships provide demand-driven education, allowing apprentices to earn while they learn – helping to close the skills gap between the skills job creators seek and job seekers need.

“Expanding apprenticeships across all industries is a priority for the Trump Administration. Since the President signed his Executive Order Expanding Apprenticeships in America, we’ve seen significant interest in apprenticeship programs across a range of industries,” said Secretary Acosta. “National Apprenticeship Week provides an opportunity to put a spotlight on how apprenticeships can help Americans learn the skills they need for success in today’s workplace. By increasing the number of apprenticeships, more Americans will be on the path to family-sustaining jobs.”

National Apprenticeship Week is a nationwide opportunity for companies, trade and industry groups, nonprofit organizations, unions, labor-management organizations, and educational institutions to highlight how apprenticeships prepare American workers for the jobs of today and the future. Events and activities include: apprenticeship program open houses, skills competitions, community forums, apprentice graduations, business open houses, high school or college career fairs, apprenticeship signing days, industry roundtable events, and more.

Earlier this month, Secretary Acosta announced members of the President's Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion. The members of the Task Force – which represents companies, labor unions, trade and industry groups, and educational institutions – will identify strategies and proposals to promote apprenticeships. In a notice on the Federal Register’s website, the Department of Labor announced the initial meeting of the Task Force will be held at the Department’s Frances Perkins Building in Washington on Nov. 13, 2017.

To learn more, and to register your event for inclusion in a national listing of National Apprenticeship Week events, please visit: https://www.dol.gov/apprenticeship/NAW/.