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EXPANDING OPTIONS FOR EMPLOYERS AND 

WORKERS THROUGH EARN-AND-LEARN 

OPPORTUNITIES 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND 

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT 

COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION 

AND THE WORKFORCE 

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION 

HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, JULY 26, 2017 

Serial No. 115–25 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

( 

Available via the World Wide Web: 

www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/committee.action?chamber=house&committee=education 

or 

Committee address: http://edworkforce.house.gov 

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(II) 

COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE 

VIRGINIA FOXX, North Carolina, Chairwoman 

Joe Wilson, South Carolina 

Duncan Hunter, California 

David P. Roe, Tennessee 

Glenn ‘‘GT’’ Thompson, Pennsylvania 

Tim Walberg, Michigan 

Brett Guthrie, Kentucky 

Todd Rokita, Indiana 

Lou Barletta, Pennsylvania 

Luke Messer, Indiana 

Bradley Byrne, Alabama 

David Brat, Virginia 

Glenn Grothman, Wisconsin 

Elise Stefanik, New York 

Rick W. Allen, Georgia 

Jason Lewis, Minnesota 

Francis Rooney, Florida 

Paul Mitchell, Michigan 

Tom Garrett, Jr., Virginia 

Lloyd K. Smucker, Pennsylvania 

A. Drew Ferguson, IV, Georgia 

Ron Estes, Kansas 

Karen Handel, Georgia 

Robert C. ‘‘Bobby’’ Scott, Virginia 

Ranking Member 

Susan A. Davis, California 

Rau ́l M. Grijalva, Arizona 

Joe Courtney, Connecticut 

Marcia L. Fudge, Ohio 

Jared Polis, Colorado 

Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, 

Northern Mariana Islands 

Frederica S. Wilson, Florida 

Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon 

Mark Takano, California 

Alma S. Adams, North Carolina 

Mark DeSaulnier, California 

Donald Norcross, New Jersey 

Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware 

Raja Krishnamoorthi, Illinois 

Carol Shea-Porter, New Hampshire 

Adriano Espaillat, New York 

Brandon Renz, Staff Director 

Denise Forte, Minority Staff Director 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE 

DEVELOPMENT 

BRETT GUTHRIE, Kentucky, Chairman 

Glenn ‘‘GT’’ Thompson, Pennsylvania 

Lou Barletta, Pennsylvania 

Luke Messer, Indiana 

Bradley Byrne, Alabama 

Glenn Grothman, Wisconsin 

Elise Stefanik, New York 

Rick W. Allen, Georgia 

Jason Lewis, Minnesota 

Paul Mitchell, Michigan 

Tom Garrett, Jr., Virginia 

Lloyd K. Smucker, Pennsylvania 

Ron Estes, Kansas 

Susan A. Davis, California 

Ranking Member 

Joe Courtney, Connecticut 

Alma S. Adams, North Carolina 

Mark DeSaulnier, California 

Raja Krishnamoorthi, Illinois 

Jared Polis, Colorado 

Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, 

Northern Mariana Islands 

Mark Takano, California 

Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware 

Adriano Espaillat, New York 

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(III) 

C O N T E N T S 

Page 

Hearing held on July 26, 2017 ............................................................................... 1 

Statement of Members: 

Davis, Hon. Susan A., Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development ............................................................. 4 

Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 5 

Guthrie, Hon. Brett, Chairman, Subcommittee on Higher Education and 

Workforce Development ................................................................................ 1 

Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 3 

Statement of Witnesses: 

Bennett, Mr. Mike, Vice President, Cianbro, Pittsfield, Maine .................... 7 

Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 10 

Hogan, Mr. Rob, Vice President of Manufacturing and Material Distribution, Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia ..................... 23 

Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 25 

Johnson Hughes, Ms. Stacey, State Chair, Kentucky Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (KYFAME), Russellville, Kentucky .... 35 

Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 38 

Peglow, Mr. Robert, Student, Kentucky Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (KYFAME), Franklin Kentucky ................................ 19 

Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 21 

Additional Submissions: 

Courtney, Hon. Joe, a Representative in Congress from the State of 

Connecticut: 

Letter dated July 25, 2017 from Collins & Jewell Company ................. 52 

Slide: USA Today ...................................................................................... 89 

Photograph of Rep. William Fitzgerald ................................................... 90 

Mrs. Davis: 

Statement for the record from National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) ....................................................................................... 71 

Construction Apprenticeship .................................................................... 75 

Mr. Peglow: 

KYFAME .................................................................................................... 91 

Questions submitted for the record by: 

Barletta, Hon. Lou, a Representative in Congress from the State 

of Pennsylvania ...................................................................................... 93 

Mrs. Davis .................................................................................................. 97 

Responses to questions submitted for the record: 

Mr. Barletta ............................................................................................... 95 

Mrs. Davis .................................................................................................. 97 

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EXPANDING OPTIONS FOR EMPLOYERS AND 

WORKERS THROUGH EARN-AND-LEARN 

OPPORTUNITIES 

Wednesday, July 26, 2017 

House of Representatives, 

Subcommittee on Higher Education 

and Workforce Development, 

Committee on Education and the Workforce, 

Washington, D.C. 

The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:07 a.m., in Room 

2175, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Brett Guthrie [chairman of the subcommittee] presiding. 

Present: Representatives Guthrie, Messer, Byrne, Grothman, 

Stefanik, Allen, Lewis, Mitchell, Smucker, Estes, Davis, Courtney, 

Adams, DeSaulnier, Krishnamoorthi, Polis, Takano, and Espaillat. 

Also Present: Representative Foxx, Scott, and Norcross. 

Staff Present: Caitlin Burke, Legislative Assistant; Courtney 

Butcher, Director of Member Services and Coalitions; Michael 

Comer, Press Secretary; Amy Raaf Jones, Director of Education 

and Human Resources Policy; Nancy Locke, Chief Clerk; James 

Mullen, Director of Information Technology; Krisann Pearce, General Counsel; Alexandra Pena, Staff Assistant; James Redstone, 

Professional Staff Member; Mandy Schaumburg, Education Deputy 

Director and Senior Counsel; Michael Woeste, Press Secretary; 

Tylease Alli, Minority Clerk/Intern and Fellow Coordinator; Austin 

Barbera, Minority Press Assistant; Denise Forte, Minority Staff Director; Mishawn Freeman, Minority Staff Assistant; Eunice Ikene, 

Minority Labor Policy Advisor; Richard Miller, Minority Senior 

Labor Policy Advisor; Udochi Onwubiko, Minority Labor Policy 

Counsel; Alexander Payne, Minority Education Policy Advisor; 

Veronique Pluviose, Minority General Counsel; and Erin Robinson, 

Minority Policy Fellow. 

Chairman GUTHRIE. We will bring the committee to order. A 

quorum being present, the Subcommittee on Higher Education and 

Workforce Development will come to order. 

Good morning and welcome to today’s subcommittee hearing. I 

would like to thank our panel of witnesses and our members for 

joining today’s important discussion on apprenticeships, an opportunity for us to grow our Nation’s workforce. 

I would especially like to welcome Ms. Stacey Hughes, a constituent of mine who lives not even a mile away, who serves as the 

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2 

State chair of the Kentucky Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education, or Kentucky FAME; and Mr. Robert, or Robbie 

Peglow, a student, a Kentucky student, participating in Kentucky 

FAME. I look forward to hearing from you about how Kentucky is 

working to have young people get the skills they need to obtain 

good-paying jobs. 

Every day, hardworking Americans search for a good-paying job 

that will lead them to a successful career. Many Americans find a 

pathway to a good-paying job through apprenticeship programs 

that provide real earn-and-learn opportunities that often turn into 

careers. 

For workers, apprenticeships are a chance to prepare for today’s 

high-skilled, in-demand jobs alongside long-time industry professionals. In fact, based on the National Household Education Survey, an estimated 2.1 million Americans participated in apprenticeships last year. 

Employers also see apprenticeships as an outlet to invest in 

work-based learning programs that attract and help to retain highly qualified employees. And many have seen the results in the form 

of increased productivity and greater innovation. Our hearing today 

will explore how apprenticeship-style programs promote workforce 

development while also looking at Federal programs that are in 

need of improvement. 

One aspect of apprenticeships where this committee sees room 

for improvement in order to help workers and employers is registered apprenticeships. Currently, registered apprenticeships are 

programs officially registered with the Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship or State office of apprenticeships. 

The Department of Labor has issued regulations requiring that 

registered apprenticeships meet 26 specific requirements relating 

to program design. DOL regulations also require that these programs adhere to equal employment opportunity regulations that 

are specific to apprenticeships. While the Department continues to 

regulate the registered apprenticeship program, workers and businesses are not convinced this program is something that is best for 

workforce development. 

In 2016, only 206,000 individuals nationwide became apprentices 

through the Registered Apprenticeship Program. Further, less than 

half of the earn-and-learn programs choose to register their programs with the Department of Labor. The Registered Apprenticeship Program is yet another one-size-fits-all approach that works 

better for Washington than it does for businesses and students who 

wish to use apprenticeships as a way to grow our workforce. 

Rather than doubling down on the failed attempts of previous administrations to expand the registered apprenticeship program, 

this committee is looking for a better way to build on the successful 

efforts businesses have found to grow their own apprenticeship programs outside of the registered apprenticeship program. 

It should be noted that any effort to promote apprenticeship opportunities needs to provide employees and job creators with the 

flexibility to innovative and develop high-quality earn-and-learn 

programs without the burdens of Washington overreach. 

This has been the approach of the committee in our many efforts 

to strengthen workforce development this Congress and will conCEWDOCROOM with DISTILLER

3 

tinue to be our approach for the future. Today’s hearing is part of 

the House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s ongoing efforts to strengthen our workforce for the future, and it is even more 

important in the realm of apprenticeships now that the White 

House has taken note of the true success apprenticeship programs 

are having for workers and employers alike. 

I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today on how they 

have been able to create their own innovative apprenticeship programs and how we can strengthen these efforts to help close the 

skills gap that exists in our country. 

I now yield to the subcommittee’s ranking member, Susan Davis, 

for her opening remarks. 

[The statement of Chairman Guthrie follows:] 

Prepared Statement of Hon. Brett Guthrie, Chairman, Subcommittee on 

Higher Education and Workforce Development 

Good morning, and welcome to today’s subcommittee hearing. I’d like to thank our 

panel of witnesses and our members for joining today’s important discussion on apprenticeships and opportunities for us to grow our nation’s workforce. I’d especially 

like to welcome Ms. Stacey Hughes, a constituent of mine who serves as the state 

chair of the Kentucky Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education, or 

KYFAME, and Mr. Robert Peglow, a Kentucky student participating in KYFAME. 

I look forward to hearing from you about how Kentucky is working to help young 

people get the skills they need to obtain good-paying jobs. 

Every day hardworking Americans search for a good-paying job that will lead 

them to a successful career. Many Americans find a pathway to a good-paying job 

through apprenticeship programs that provide real earn-and-learn opportunities 

that often turn into careers. 

For workers, apprenticeships are a chance to prepare for today’s high-skilled, indemand jobs alongside long-time industry professionals. In fact, based on the National Household Education Survey, an estimated 2.1 million Americans participated in apprenticeships last year. 

Employers also see apprenticeships as an outlet to invest in work-based learning 

programs that attract and help to retain highly qualified employees, and many have 

seen the results in the form of increased productivity and greater innovation. 

Our hearing today will explore how apprenticeship-style programs promote workforce development, while also looking at federal programs that are in need of improvement. 

One aspect of apprenticeships where this committee sees room for improvement 

in order to help workers and employers is ‘‘registered’’ apprenticeships. 

Currently, registered apprenticeships are programs officially ‘‘registered’’ with the 

Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship (OA) or a state office of apprenticeship. 

The Department of Labor has issued regulations requiring that registered apprenticeships meet twenty-six specific requirements relating to program design. DOL 

regulations also require that these programs adhere to equal employment opportunity regulations that are specific to apprenticeships. 

While the department continues to regulate the registered apprenticeship program, workers and businesses are not convinced this program is something that is 

best for workforce development. 

In 2016, only 206,000 individuals nationwide became apprentices through the registered apprenticeship program. Further, less than half of earn-and-learn programs 

choose to register their programs with the Department of Labor. 

The registered apprenticeship program is yet another one-size-fits-all approach 

that works better for Washington than it does for businesses and students who wish 

to use apprenticeships as a way to grow our workforce. 

Rather than doubling down on the failed attempts of previous administrations to 

expand the registered apprenticeship program, this committee is looking for a better 

way to build on the successful efforts businesses have found to grow their own apprenticeship programs outside of the registered apprenticeships program. 

It should be noted that any effort to promote apprenticeship opportunities needs 

to provide employees and job creators with the flexibility to innovate and develop 

high quality earn-and-learn programs without the burdens of Washington overreach. 

CEWDOCROOM with DISTILLER

4 

This has been the approach of the committee in our many efforts to strengthen 

workforce development this Congress, and it will continue to be our approach for 

the future. 

Today’s hearing is part of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s 

ongoing efforts to strengthen our workforce for the future, and it is even more important in the realm of apprenticeships now that the White House has taken note 

of the true success apprenticeship programs are having for workers and employers 

alike. 

I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today on how they have been able 

to create their own innovative apprenticeship programs, and how we can strengthen 

these efforts to help close the skills gap that exists in our country. 

Mrs. DAVIS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I am very pleased 

that we are here today to discuss successful earn-and-learn programs. As this committee looks to help build a highly skilled workforce and close the skills gap that we so often hear about, we must 

look at effective models to expand. We know that these models are 

not new, and in fact, apprenticeships have been training students 

for quality high-paying jobs for decades. 

Programs like The Apprentice School, which we will hear from 

today, integrate on-the-job training with related classroom instruction, and they also work with local community colleges to build and 

develop curriculum that allows apprenticeships to have stackable, 

transferable credentials and allows them to transition into other 

higher education pathways. These programs also work to educate 

teachers, families, and young people about the benefits of registered apprenticeships. 

I am interested in hearing how we can build on the successes of 

these programs to make registered apprenticeships, apprenticeships more exciting for young people. We often hear from students 

that they are looking for more flexible education options to meet 

their busy schedules, and we need to answer this call and make 

quality apprenticeships a viable option for all students. Apprenticeships must be prestigious enough to attract students who seek the 

most challenging and aspirational programs. Parents want to know 

that their children are receiving a quality education that will yield 

a widely recognized credential. 

As we will hear today, apprenticeships are not the only successful earn-and-learn model. However, if taxpayers are going to invest 

in these important programs, there must be accountability for students and their families. 

I look forward to working with my colleagues on this committee 

to expand upon the registration process for apprenticeships while 

ensuring that protections remain in place for students. We will 

want to make sure that we don’t just dismantle programs. What 

we need to be doing is be sure that the protections are there, because, otherwise, I think we really do a disservice to our students 

and what their expectations are. 

I also believe that we can make apprenticeships more appealing 

by expanding them beyond the traditional trades. We would like to 

see companies build upon the phenomenal work that the building 

trades have done to open up apprenticeships in new industries. 

Just this year, Amazon announced it was starting a registered apprenticeship program for veterans in its IT cloud computing space. 

And Microsoft has recently announced one as well. This, I believe, 

CEWDOCROOM with DISTILLER

5 

is a key to how we expand apprenticeships in the U.S. It has to 

work for those businesses. 

By recognizing and rewarding companies who develop successful 

programs, we can incentivize more industries to expand apprenticeships across the country. And we know that we have to engage 

with all of our partners in this effort, whether it is learning from 

the important work that unions have done in this space, asking 

businesses to continue engaging with the Department of Labor’s 

Office of Apprenticeships, or looking to schools and nonprofit organizations to develop meaningful curriculum for apprentices. We 

know that this must be a collaborative process. 

Last week, in a disappointing maneuver, the Labor, Health and 

Human Services bill eliminated Federal dollars for apprenticeship 

programs and called on the authorizers to pass an authorization 

bill. These dollars in the past were used to promote diversity and 

support intermediaries so that small businesses can benefit from 

apprenticeships. So, if that is the case, let’s give the appropriators 

clarity in the form of an authorization. I know that we have a number of Members, some in this committee and some having been on 

the committee, who have been developing important pieces of legislation. Let’s take a look at that and let’s perhaps use that as a 

jumping off point for doing an authorization. I know, through my 

conversations with members of this committee, that apprenticeships have great support, and I am delighted to see that. I hope 

we can come together in a bipartisan manner to promote registered 

apprenticeship programs. 

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

[The statement of Mrs. Davis follows:] 

Prepared Statement of Hon. Susan A. Davis, Ranking Member, 

Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development 

I am thrilled that we are here today to discuss successful earn-and-learn programs. As this Committee looks to help build a highly skilled workforce and close 

the skills gap that we so often hear about, we must look at effective models to expand. We know that these models are not new. In fact, registered apprenticeships 

have been training students for quality, high-paying jobs for decades. 

Programs like The Apprentice School, which we’ll hear from today, integrate onthe-job training with related classroom instruction. They also work with local community colleges to build and develop curriculum that allows apprentices to have 

stackable, transferable credentials and allow them to transition into other higher 

education pathways. These programs also work to educate teachers, families and 

young people about the benefits of registered apprenticeships. 

I am interested in hearing how we can build on the successes of these programs 

to make registered apprenticeships more exciting for young people. We often hear 

from students that they’re looking for more flexible education options to meet their 

busy schedules. We need to answer this call and make quality apprenticeships a viable option for all students. 

Apprenticeships must be prestigious enough to attract students who seek the most 

challenging and aspirational programs. Parents want to know that their children 

are receiving a quality education that will yield a widely recognized credential. 

As we’ll hear today, apprenticeships are not the only successful earn and learn 

model. However, if taxpayers are going to invest in these important programs, there 

must be accountability for students and their families. 

I look forward to working with my colleagues on this committee to expand upon 

the registration process for apprenticeships, while ensuring that protections remain 

in place for students. If our only goal is to dismantle protections for students, then 

we are doing them a great disservice. 

I also believe that we can make apprenticeships more appealing by expanding 

them beyond the traditional trades. We’d like to see companies build upon the pheCEWDOCROOM with DISTILLER

6 

nomenal work that the building trades have done to open up apprenticeships in new 

industries. 

Just this year Amazon announced it was starting a registered apprenticeship program for veterans in its IT cloud computing space. And Microsoft has recently announced one as well. This, I believe, is the key to how we expand apprenticeships 

in the US. 

By recognizing and rewarding companies who develop successful programs, we 

can incentivize more industries to expand apprenticeships across the country. 

And we know that we have to engage with all of our partners in this effort. 

Whether it is learning from the important work that unions have done in this space, 

asking businesses to continue engaging with the Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeships, or looking to schools and nonprofit organizations to develop meaningful curriculum for apprentices, we know that this must be a collaborative process. 

Last week, in a disappointing maneuver, the Labor, Health and Human Services 

bill eliminated federal dollars for apprenticeship programs and called on the authorizers to pass an authorization bill. These dollars in the past were used to promote 

diversity and support intermediaries so that small businesses can benefit from apprenticeships. 

If that’s the case, let’s give the appropriators clarity in the form of an authorization. I know that Ranking Member Scott, myself, and most of the Democrats on this 

committee support Rep. Pocan’s LEARNs act and are willing to have a markup on 

it tomorrow, if the Chair would schedule it. 

I know through my conversations with Members of this Committee that apprenticeships have great support. I hope we can come together in a bipartisan manner 

to promote registered apprenticeship programs. 

Chairman GUTHRIE. Thank you for yielding back, and I do believe we can move forward in a good manner. I appreciate that. 

Pursuant to committee rule 7(c), all members will be permitted 

to submit written statements to be included in the permanent 

hearing record. 

And, without objection, the hearing record will remain open for 

14 days to allow such statements and other extraneous material 

referenced during the hearing to be submitted for the official hearing record. 

I will now introduce our witnesses for this morning’s hearings. 

Mr. Mike Bennett is the vice president of Cianbro Companies 

and is testifying on behalf of the Associated Builders and Contractors. 

Mr. Robbie Peglow is an apprenticeship student testifying on behalf of Kentucky Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education or Kentucky FAME. 

I will now recognize Ranking Member Scott to introduce our next 

witness. 

Mr. SCOTT. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. Chairman, our next witness is Bob Hogan, who is Vice President of Manufacturing and Material Distribution from Newport 

News Shipbuilding. He is on the Board of Directors of the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing and the Virginia 

Manufacturing Association, where he recently served as chairman. 

He is active in the American Welding Society, Society for Manufacturing Engineers, and the Association for Manufacturing Excellence. 

He knows about apprenticeship programs because he is, in fact, 

a graduate of the Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School, 

and he will describe the school, I am sure, as the best in the Nation. It is really the gold standard for apprenticeship programs. So 

we welcome him here and thank you for the opportunity to introduce him. 

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7 

Chairman GUTHRIE. Thank you. 

Thank you, Mr. Ranking member. 

And, also, now I would like to introduce Ms. Stacey Johnson 

Hughes as the State chair of Kentucky Federation for Advanced 

Manufacturing Education, a good friend and a neighbor. 

We appreciate you being here. 

And, also, her employer is one of our great local employers, 

which is Logan Aluminum. So we appreciate that. 

I will now ask the witnesses to raise your right hands. 

[Witnesses sworn.] 

Chairman GUTHRIE. Let the record reflect the witnesses answered in the affirmative. Before I recognize you to provide you for 

your testimony, let me briefly explain the lighting system. Each of 

you will have 5 minutes to present your testimony. When you 

begin, the light in front of you will turn green. When 1 minute is 

left, the light will turn yellow. When your time is expired, the light 

will turn red. At that point, I will ask that you wrap up your remarks as best as you’re able. 

Members will each have 5 minutes to ask you questions following 

your opening statements, and I will recognize the witnesses in 

order. 

And, first, Mr. Bennett, you’re recognized for 5 minutes for your 

opening statement. 

STATEMENT OF MIKE BENNETT, VICE PRESIDENT, CIANBRO, 

PITTSFIELD, MAINE 

Mr. BENNETT. Good morning, Chairman Guthrie, Ranking Member Davis, Chairwoman Foxx, and members of the Subcommittee 

on Higher Education and Workforce Development. 

Let me begin by thanking each of you for this opportunity to testify before you today on how to expand opportunities for Americans 

through workforce development and the earn-and-learn model. 

Again, my name is Michael Bennett. I am the vice president of the 

Cianbro Companies based out of Pittsfield, Maine. I have been with 

the organization for 21 years, and today I’m here to testify on behalf of Associated Builders and Contractors. 

As an employee/owner of Cianbro, I’m pleased to share with you 

that Cianbro is one of the United States’ largest, most diversified, 

open shop, 100 percent employee-owned, construction companies. 

We operate in 41 States, and we employ more than 4,000 team 

members, managing and self-performing heavy civil, structural, 

mechanical, electrical, steel fabrication and coating work. We are 

recognized nationally in pursuing health and wellness in the workplace with such distinctions as the healthiest and safest company 

in America, and that was awarded by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 

And while I would love to continue to talk about the company 

that I’m so proud of during this testimony this morning, that’s really not why I’m here. I’m here to talk about the skills gap and the 

workforce shortage or, on a more macro level, developing the next 

generation of skilled workers, craft professionals, in a way that promotes safety, continual learning, and career development. 

Right now, in our industry, there are approximately 500,000 

skilled construction jobs available with modest economic growth 

CEWDOCROOM with DISTILLER

8 

and the potential of a $1 trillion infrastructure bill, that number 

could balloon to 1 million by 2020, which is less than 3 years away. 

To fill these jobs, we must have safe and efficient workers. To do 

this, we must have flexibility. Our clients are sophisticated. Our 

workforce development models must evolve to meet these demands. 

At Associated Builders and Contractors, as with Cianbro, we support all workforce programs that develop people and help them 

reach their potential, whether they’re defined by the government or 

driven by industry. And we call this an all-of-the-above approach 

to educating the construction professionals. 

I have listed some improvements in my written testimony, but I 

wanted to share a few of those verbally with you today as we develop the strategy it needs to include creating multiple pathways 

for apprenticeships by acknowledging industry-recognized programs as we do registered apprenticeship programs. 

We need to establish reciprocity across Federal and State apprenticeship councils. We need to allow for the utilization of nationally recognized portable industry credentialing programs with 

third-party oversight. The programs must be industry- and marketdriven and flexible in structure, scheduling, and duration to address the changes with an industry’s means, methods, and technology. 

Programs should be competency-based, allowing those who quickly master a skill to progress quicker than those who may require 

more time. And we need to allow for targeted programs to be developed. Competencies evolve quickly. With the changing business demands, an employee should be able to build those targeted competencies for those demand positions to meet our clients’ needs. 

Why does Cianbro value industry-recognized programs? Because 

they work. Industry-recognized programs come in all shapes and 

sizes, and that is the beauty of them. They provide the highest 

level of flexibility that benefits the worker, their company, and 

their client. Industry-recognized programs give the entire American 

public an opportunity to learn a skill, develop themselves, and 

build their careers. 

I’m not here today to criticize registered apprenticeship programs; rather, I’m here to urge you as lawmakers to support our 

industry by encouraging an all-of-the-above approach in filling the 

skills gap. This is why the construction industry is so excited about 

President Trump’s executive order to expand on the apprenticeship 

opportunities for all Americans. By encouraging industry-recognized programs and embracing an all-of-the-above approach to 

workforce development, the President’s executive order shows a 

commitment to innovation and embracing the methods that work. 

And, in closing, I would like to leave you with these sentiments: 

Every day, I am thankful for the skilled craft professionals who 

provide me with the creature comforts we all enjoy: a warm and 

dry home, power, safe roads, reliable transportation. As a society, 

we highly value our doctors, our lawyers, our dentists, but sometimes we take for granted our other professionals. Our country requires and deserves to have the best of the best at all levels of 

these professions. So, as we work together to enhance the quality 

and quantity of our skilled vocations in this country, I offer you 

ABC’s support in helping to enhance our existing registered apCEWDOCROOM with DISTILLER

9 

prenticeship program and, more importantly, structure a flexible, 

industry-recognized, nonregistered model that warrants the same 

level of recognition and respect that our current registered programs provide. 

I would like to thank the subcommittee for holding today’s hearing on this important subject. 

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my formal remarks. I’m prepared 

to answer any questions that you or the other members of the committee may have. 

[The statement of Mr. Bennett follows:] 

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10 

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Insert offset folio 1 here 26299.001

Statement for the Record for 

Associated Builders and 

Contractors 

Testimony of 

Michael Bennett 

Before the 

House Committee on Education and the Workforce 

Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development 

On 

"Expanding Options for Employers and Workers Through Earn-and-Learn 

Opportunities" 

July 26, 2017 

1 
11 

CEWDOCROOM with DISTILLER


Insert offset folio 2 here 26299.002

Good Morning Chairman Guthrie, Ranking Member Davis and members of the Subcommittee 

on Higher Education and Workforce Development. Let me begin by thanking each of you for the 

opportunity to testify before you today on how to expand opportunities for workers through 

workforce development and the earn-and-learn model. 

My name is Michael Bennett. I am the vice president of the Cianbro Companies, based out of 

Pittsfield, Maine, and have been with the organization for 21 years. Today I am testifying on 

behalf of Associated Builders and Contractors. I serve on the board of directors of ABC's Maine 

Chapter; I chair the National ABC Workforce Development Committee; and I serve as a trustee 

ofNCCER, created as the National Center of Construction Education and Research. 

As an employee/owner, I am pleased to share with you that Cianbro is one of the United States' 

largest, most diverse, open shop, I 00 percent employee-owned construction and construction 

services companies. Cianbro operates in 41 states and employs more than 4,000 team members, 

managing and self-performing heavy civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, steel fabrication and 

coating work. Ranked #l 03 on Engineering News-Record's 2017 Top 400 Contractors, Cianbro 

is best known for managing major construction projects along with self-perform capabilities and 

hands-on construction techniques. 

Throughout its 68-year history, Cianbro has safely and efficiently planned, managed and 

constructed many technically complex, historic and environmentally sensitive projects for a wide 

variety of public and private clients. A total commitment to safety, combined with the 

enthusiasm of an innovative team of construction professionals, has enabled Cianbro to build a 

durable reputation tor completing projects safely, on schedule and within budget. 

Cianbro is a nationally recognized leader in pursuing health and safety in the workplace with 

such distinctions as the Healthiest and Safest Company in America, awarded by the American 

College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. We are one of II contractors in the 

country to receive ABC's highest level of safety performance award. The International Risk 

Management Institute honored Cianbro with the distinguished Gary E. Bird Horizon Award for 

excellence in innovative risk management in the construction industry. 

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I do not share these accolades with you to seem arrogant or pompous. Cianbro is actually a very 

humble organization. I share these with you to demonstrate that we are simply hardworking 

Americans who believe in the spirit of teamwork. We have a placard in every Cianbro 

conference room and classroom that reads. "No One Is Smarter Than All of Us." I would like to 

think that applies here today with our discussion. 

Our focus on safety innovation goes back many decades. We took these lessons learned and 

applied those to our company when we established and Employee Stock Ownership Plan, our 

wcllness program, and today we apply these same leadership skills to our workforce 

development efforts. We do this because we must evolve and we believe it is our responsibility. 

Again, I consider myself very fortunate to be here with you today to share our story. Our 

workforce development model is successful and can be replicated. For that reason, I would like 

to share a few details about what works, what docs not work. and what the government and 

private sector can improve upon. 

To set the stage for you, we believe we have a moral obligation to ensure the safety of our team 

members and business partners. Our philosophy is that everyone deserves to go home in better 

condition than when they arrived. 

Cianbro has been committed to workforce development since its inception. Early in our history, 

on-the-job experience developed many of our skilled construction veterans. Over time, our 

workforce development has become more and more structured. Today, the company's 

commitment to developing a safe, highly skilled construction workforce is greater than ever, and 

as we proudly anticipate the grand opening of our new Cianbro Institute, a state-of-the-art 

workforce development facility that combines classroom, hands-on labs and simulated work 

environments as well as a well ness center. Our Cianbro Institute provides more than 75 different 

educational classes and professional programs that include skilled trades, safety, supervisor and 

leadership as well as annual compliance updating. 

While I would love to talk about my company for the duration of my testimony that is not why I 

am before you today. rm here to talk about a serious issue that I know everyone in this room is 

aware of: the skills gap and worker shortage. Or, on a more macro level, developing the next 

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generation of skilled crafts professionals in a way that promotes safety, continual learning and 

career development 

As our nation confronts the skills gap and workforce shortage, Cianbro has always looked at this 

issue as an opportunity rather than a problem. This attitude has served our company well over the 

years and created many great opportunities for our organization. We view the growing skills gap 

as an opportunity for our company, the industry and the country. 

Great attention is being paid to the value of career and technical education and the need to evolve 

our educational system as new technologies, means and methods are being introduced. The 

recent re-authorization of the Perkins Act is a significant step in the right direction. Thank you to 

all of you who contributed to that success. 

As we look at the holistic picture of workforce development, successful models combine 

technical knowledge with technical proficiency through hands-on application and on-the-job 

experience. When you employ the earn-while-you-learn model and support individuals with 

lifelong learning and mcntoring, the opportunities are endless. 

We just have to believe. If we believe in our youth, the underemployed and the unemployed and 

if we're willing to invest in their development, this country can outsmart this skills gap and 

workforce shortage. 

To do this we must have flexibility. The construction industry is dynamic. Our clients are 

sophisticated. The rate of change in our society is greater than ever. Our workforce development 

models must evolve to meet these demands. As a self-performing contractor, we are builders 

who employee skilled craft professionals and this is vital to our future success. You may be 

surprised to hear that as an organization we provide both apprenticeship programs registered 

with the Department of Labor, which meet the needs of state licensing requirements, and nonregistered, industry-recognized programs to best meet the needs of our clients. 

Although Cianbro uses DOL registered apprenticeship programs, we do feel there are some 

impediments to using the system and we see room for improvements. For example: 

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• Current apprenticeship programs are state-licensing driven, not necessarily-business and 

industry-need driven. Sometimes we are teaching people skills that will not be valuable 

in the market 

• Time requirements are rigid and not always business-relevant. Nor do they allow for 

individuals to excel and progress if they are excellent students. 

• Requirements for on-the-job hours and artificial ratios ofjourney level to apprentice do 

not always align with the scope of work on a project. 

• Enrollment numbers are limited due to high costs and administrative burdens on 

employers. 

• There is an inconsistency of programs. Multiple states have registered apprenticeships 

with the same title (carpenter, for example) that teach a variety of different tasks within 

each program. A contractor who sits on the State Apprenticeship Council told me his 

frustration was that hiring individuals with apprenticeship credentials did not necessarily 

mean that they possessed the same level of knowledge and/or competency that he needed 

them to know. He stated there is clearly no consistency among states. Compare that to 

an industry-recognized credential, such as the NCCER, in which a contractor knows 

exactly what skills a person possess. 

• There is no consistent reciprocity among states. In today's mobile environment, it is very 

common for craft workers to work in multiple states in a single year. Their ability to do 

so is restricted by the lack of consistency. 

• Program approval in some states has all but eliminated the possibility for merit shop 

contractors or associations to get approval for a registered apprenticeship. For example, a 

business associate recently shared with me some of their challenges attempting to register 

their carpentry apprentices with the state. The state approver demanded that they add 

residential and commercial tasks to their industrial carpentry apprenticeship program. 

These were skills they had no intention of utilizing. This one individual's opinion or 

subjectivity created an undue hardship on this particular contractor. 

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Another business associate was attempting to register their pipefitters. A requirement 

demanded that the apprentices must also have steam fitting and copper pipe experience in 

the program. The contractor was working on heavy carbon pipe only lor the duration of 

the job for this particular client. The skills of steam fitting and copper pipe added no 

value to the individual or business. 

These unnecessary requirements are a burden to the government and taxpayers because they're 

being forced to regulate programs that provide little to no value in the marketplace. 

Why do we value industry-recognized programs? 

Because they work. 

Industry-recognized programs come in all shapes and sizes, and that is the beauty of them: they 

provide for the highest level of flexibility that benefit the worker, their company and their client. 

Industry-recognized programs give students, veterans, second-chance seekers and the entire 

American public an opportunity to learn a skill, develop themselves and build their careers. I am 

not here to criticize registered apprenticeship programs; rather, I am here to demonstrate that 

industry recognized programs are the best tools available to the industry right now. 

An important part of industry-recognized programs is that they allow tor multi-skill learning. 

This means that a person can be a skilled carpenter and enter a program to become a competent 

instrumentation fitter. lt also means that a carpenter who is in a program to be a fitter may also 

become skilled in equipment operation or rigging. This provides the flexibility to mix and match 

the necessary skills our organization requires to build each project. It is extremely valuable in 

today's marketplace for an individual to be proficient in multiple crafts; not only for the 

company but the worker themself. 

Industry-recognized programs also allow for competency-based learning. This method of 

development is invaluable to contractors. A project can sometimes take years to develop. During 

this time a company's resources can be redeployed to meet the demands of other projects. 

Having the ability. to deliver competency-based programs allows us to quickly develop and 

mobilize the talent necessary to meet the demands of the project. The team member also benefits 

as they develop new skills, diversify their abilities, enhance their earning potential, and create 

work opportunities for themselves. 

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For several years the industry and the country have discussed the impending skilled labor 

shortage. That shortage of skilled labor is now upon us; there arc approximately 500,000 jobs in 

the construction industry ready to he filled today. That is half a million good-paying, stable jobs 

that could be filled if there were an adequate supply of skilled workers. Furthermore, according 

to market projections, if there is a large-scale infrastructure bill passed, the amount of jobs that 

need to be filled would balloon to one million by 2020. 

That is why the construction industry is so excited about President Trump's executive order to 

expand apprenticeship opportunities for all Americans. By encouraging industry-recognized 

programs and embracing an "all-of-the-above" approach to workforce development, the 

President's executive order shows a commitment to innovation and embracing the methods that 

work. 

There are ways that future programs can embrace the innovation of the private sector while 

keeping the focus on what is best for American students and workers. 

• Align our apprenticeship programs to support both our educational system and business 

workforce development eftorts. 

• The programs must be industry/market-driven and flexible in structure, scheduling and 

duration to address the changes in industry means, methods and technology. 

• Programs should be competency-based, allowing those who quickly master a skill set to 

progress quicker than those who may require more time. 

Allow the nationally recognized curricula and credentials already being utilized in the 

industry to provide the foundation for this new, flexible, third-party oversight. 

• Any government-funded programs should establish a partnership between the educational 

entity and the employer to ensure job placement during or upon completion of the 

program. 

• Allow for targeted programs to be developed. Competencies evolve quickly with 

changing business demands, and employers should be able to build those targeted 

competencies for those high-demand positions to meet the client's needs. 

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• As in education, creating multiple pathways for our students has proven successful. 

Creating multiple pathways for our apprentices will also be beneficial to our country. 

Some thoughts on how we could accomplish this: 

o Establish standardization of skill requirements across traditional crafts among 

federal and state apprenticeship councils. 

o Establish a non-registered, industry-recognized federal committee or task force 

consisting of educators, non-profits, industry members and union and merit shop 

representatives to develop a set of guidelines and metrics for an industry-driven 

peer auditing process to approve and monitor programs fi.lr rigor, relevance and 

integrity. 

o Allow !i.lr the utilization of nationally recognized, portable, industry-recognized 

credentialing programs. 

o Create reciprocity among all states that provides opportunities for craft 

professionals and reduces burdens on business and government. 

As a contractor building projects of scale across the country, we have needs for skilled craft 

professionals who are proficient working alone and those who are proficient working with 

others. Our ability to leverage the flexibility of non-registered industry recognized programs 

provides us with the structure to develop skilled workers who must demonstrate their 

competency before putting work in place at a rate sometimes years ahead of a registered 

program. 

For example, we recently completed the largest upgrade to an oil refinery of its kind in decades 

here in the United States. The project required us to staff 250 pipe welders. As we strategized 

with other professionals outside of our company, we were told it would be impossible to develop 

a pipe welder in 12 weeks. The traditional model for this skill was very lengthy, and in a 

registered apprenticeship program would require 144 hours of classroom time and a minimum of 

2,000 work hours. Cianbro not only developed the 250 welders within a 12-week period, but 

many of those welders learned a new skill that doubled their earning potential. Skeptics of our 

process would claim that these new welders lacked adequate development, but please listen to 

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this: in construction, there are cycles within the project schedule when the demand for certain 

skilled labor has ebbs and flows. This is the nature of our industry. When the next downturn hit, 

one might have thought that Cianbro would sideline the newest hires first. However, based on 

our company's detailed metrics of performance, 14 out ofthe 15 top performing welders came 

from this new industry-recognized program, not our veterans. The model works. 

ln closing, I'd like to leave you with these sentiments: When I woke up this morning, I was 

comforted knowing I had a good night rest, thanks to the skilled carpenter who built my house, 

which keeps me warm and dry. l was thankful my alarm clock had power and went otT and that 

the lights came on when l threw the switch, thanks to the skilled electrician who wired my house. 

I am grateful every morning I have a warm shower, thanks to the skilled boiler technician and 

plumber. l am thankful to my automotive technician, who keeps my vehicle in good working 

condition so that it starts every day. l appreciate the road and bridge builders, as does my family, 

knowing I can travel safely to and from work. I am also thankful for the dentists, doctors and 

other professionals who look after my health. 

Regardless of the work that 1 need performed personally, I want to be confident that these 

professionals have the skills and competency necessary to perform the task. I am appreciative 

that their development contained rigor and relevance to their skill sets. Our society highly values 

our doctors, lawyers and dentists. We sometimes take for granted our other professionals. I think 

you would agree, our country requires and deserves to have the best of the best at all levels of 

these professions, and none should be taken for granted. So as we work together to enhance the 

quality and quantity of our skilled vocations in this country, I otTer you the support of ABC and 

myself in helping to structure a flexible, industry-recognized, non-registered model that warrants 

the same level of recognition and respect that our current registered programs provide. 

I'd like to thank the subcommittee for holding today's hearing on this important subject. Mr. 

Chairman, this concludes my formal remarks. I am prepared to answer any questions you and the 

other members of the subcommittee may have. 

9 
19 

Chairman GUTHRIE. Thank you, Mr. Bennett, for your testimony. 

Mr. Peglow, you’re now recognized for 5 minutes for your statement. 

STATEMENT OF ROBERT PEGLOW, STUDENT, KENTUCKY FEDERATION FOR ADVANCED MANUFACTURING EDUCATION 

(KYFAME), FRANKLIN, KENTUCKY 

Mr. PEGLOW. Hi. My name is the Robert Peglow, and my personal safety commitment is to always wear my safety glasses when 

necessary. I am an apprentice sponsored by Kobe Aluminum in 

Bowling Green, Kentucky. 

The KYFAME program was a once in a lifetime opportunity for 

me. It was also a second chance. 

My story begins in 2014 when I graduated from high school. I 

didn’t know what I wanted to do. The only thing I knew was that 

I was going to college. I didn’t like school, and I never have. I believe it is necessary and a great tool to obtain any career you would 

like, but it wasn’t really for me. I went to college for 1 year after 

high school and didn’t do so well. I wasn’t focused or dedicated as 

much as I should have been, and I basically failed out. I took a 

year off to rethink what I really want to do and get my head in 

the right place. 

In the spring of 2016, I decided I was ready to go back to college. 

I still didn’t know for what, but I knew I needed to. I also knew 

I was ready. I had grown up and matured. I now had a fiancee to 

think about, instead of just myself. 

I discovered the KYFAME program through a friend of mine and 

decided I would explore the option. I talked with some of the people 

that are associated with the program and decided this is for me; 

this is the opportunity I have been searching for. 

I started the program in the fall of 2016. I immediately discovered this wasn’t an ordinary technical program. Most programs are 

2-year programs where you earn a degree and then go to work in 

your field of study. In the KYFAME program, I was able to work 

3 days a week as well as go to school the other 2 days. I have 

learned more than I could have possibly imagined both in work and 

school. 

The reason why this program works so well is that everyone involved is fully dedicated, from the sponsoring companies to the professors and everyone in between. After being in the program for a 

year, I can see that their sole purpose is to make this program succeed. 

The professors give out their personal emails and cell phone 

numbers at the beginning of class and tell us to call or email any 

time if we need anything, and they mean it. They are dedicated to 

our success, and it shows. I have stayed after hours on multiple occasions with professors to study or ask questions. I am greeted 

with a smile every time and never rushed in our conversations. 

There are many reasons this program has been such a blessing 

to me. I have had the opportunity to go to surrounding high schools 

and speak to students interested in the program. I have been able 

to develop my skills in numerous ways beyond my belief. I attended 

the national AMT conference and presented there as well. Coming 

into the program, I would not have considered myself a very good 

CEWDOCROOM with DISTILLER

20 

public speaker, nor did I like doing it. Now I am the first to volunteer for presentations and am happy to do them. 

One of the biggest benefits I have discovered is the work aspect 

of the program. We get to work alongside experienced technicians 

every day at work. We also have an experienced maintenance adviser to help develop our skills and answer any questions we have. 

As students, we all go through the same curriculum together. 

There have been a few nights a group of us have met together and 

worked on projects or studied. This has been extremely helpful because we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. 

At the beginning of my statement, I gave my personal safety 

commitment. The number one thing we have been taught is our 

safety. We are expected to share our safety commitment at the beginning of conversations or presentations. This shows how committed we are in everything that we do. It is also just one of the 

many things I have learned along this journey. 

Without this KYFAME, I can say I would not be where I am 

today. I found this program at a low point in my life, and it has 

helped me change my -- turn my path around. I am now at a high 

point in my short life, and I can truly say it is because of 

KYFAME. Speaking as a student from a KYFAME chapter, I appreciate this committee’s work on apprenticeship programs. I’m 

happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you again for 

your time. 

[The statement of Mr. Peglow follows:] 

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21 

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Robert Peglow 

7/26/2017 

Expanding Options for Employers and Workers through Earn and Learn 

Opportunities 

Hi my name is Robert Peglow and my personal safety commitment is to always wear my safety 

glasses when necessary. The SKY Fame program was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. It 

was also a second chance. My story begins in 2014 when I graduated from high school. I didn't 

know what I wanted to do. The only thing I knew was that I was going to college. I didn't like 

school and I never have. I believe it is necessary and a great tool to obtain any career you would 

like, but it wasn't really for me. I went to college for one year after high school and didn't do so 

well. I wasn't focused or dedicated as much as I should have been and I basically failed out. I 

took a year off to rethink what I really wanted to do and get my head in the right place. In the 

spring of 2016 I decided I was ready to go back to college. I still didn't know for what but I knew 

1 needed to. I also knew I was ready. I had grown up and matured. I now had a fiance to think 

about instead of just myself. 

1 discovered the KYFAME program through a friend of mine and decided I would explore 

this option. I talked with some of the people that are associated with the program and decided 

this is for me. This is the opportunity I have been searching for. I started the program in the fall 

of 2016. I immediately discovered this wasn't an ordinary technical program. Most programs 

are two year programs where you earn a degree then go work in your field of study. In the 

KYFAME program, I was able to work three days a week as well as go to school the other two 

days. I have learned more than I could have possibly imagined both in work and school. 

The reason why this program works so well is that everyone involved is fully dedicated, 

from the sponsoring companies to the professors and everyone in between. After being in the 

program for a year I can see that their sole purpose is to make this program succeed. The 

professors give out their personal emails and cellphone numbers at the beginning of class and 

tell us to call or email anytime if we need anything and they mean it. They are dedicated to our 

success and it shows. I have stayed after hours on multiple occasions with professors to study 

or ask questions. I am greeted with a smile every time and never rushed in our conversations. 

There are many reasons this program has been such a blessing to me. I have had the 

opportunity to go to surrounding high schools and speak to students interested in the program. 

I have been able to develop my skills in numerous ways beyond my belief. I attended the 

national AMT conference and presented there as well. Coming into the program I would not 

have considered myself a very good public speaker nor did I like doing it. Now I am the first to 

volunteer for presentations and am happy to do them. 
22 

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Insert offset folio 11 here 26299.011

Robert Peglow 

7/26/2017 

One of the biggest benefits I have discovered is the work aspect of the program. We get 

to work alongside experienced technicians every day at work. We also have an experienced 

maintenance advisor to help develop our skills and answer any questions we have. As students, 

we all go through the same curriculum together. There have been a few nights a group of us 

have met together and worked on projects or study. This has been extremely helpful because 

we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. 

At the beginning of my statement, I gave my personal safety commitment. The number 

one thing we have been taught is our safety. We are expected to share our safety commitment 

at the beginning of conversations or presentations. This shows how committed we are in 

everything that we do. It is also just one of the many things I have learned along this journey. 

Without this KYFAME, I can say I would not be where I am today. I found this program at a low 

point in my life and it has helped me turn my path around. I am now at a high point in my short 

life and I can truly say it is because of this KYFAME. 

Speaking as student from a KY FAME chapter, I appreciate this committee's work on 

apprenticeship programs. I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you again 

for your time. 
23 

Chairman GUTHRIE. Thank you for your testimony. Your story 

and stories like yours make us all excited on both sides, and you 

are a very good public speaker, so congratulations on that. 

I now recognize Mr. Hogan for 5 minutes for his opening statement. 

STATEMENT OF ROB HOGAN, VICE PRESIDENT OF MANUFACTURING AND MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION, NEWPORT NEWS 

SHIPBUILDING, NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA 

Mr. HOGAN. Good morning and thank you, Chairman Guthrie, 

Ranking Member Davis, and distinguished members on the Subcommittee of Higher Education and Workforce Development. 

As kindly introduced by Mr. Scott, my name is Rob Hogan, and 

I’m the vice president of manufacturing and material logistics at 

Newport News Shipbuilding, which is a division of Huntington 

Ingalls Industries, based in Newport News, Virginia. And I’m honored to represent Newport News Shipbuilding in today’s discussion 

and want to thank the subcommittee for this invitation. 

Huntington Ingalls Industries is an American Fortune 500 com- pany with $7 billion in annual revenues and work backlog of approximately $20 billion. With facilities located in Virginia, Mississippi, California, Florida, Texas, and Colorado, we employ approximately 37,000 workers. Among them are more than 15,000 

craftsmen and -women, 5,000 engineers, 1,600 of whom have advanced degrees, and we employ approximately 5,000 veterans. 

At Newport News Shipbuilding, we have been in business for 131 

years, and many of our employers are third-, fourth-, and even 

fifth-generation shipbuilders. Nearly 1,000 of our employers are 

what’s called master shipbuilders. These are employees with 40 or 

more years of continuous service and a group of which I’m proud 

to be included. Our shipbuilders build the most advanced ships in 

the world for the United States Navy using our expertise in nuclear propulsion, naval design, and manufacturing. We are the sole 

designer and builder and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one of two providers of nuclear-powered submarines. 

In my role, I’m responsible for all shipyard manufactured material, material warehousing, and material distribution for all of our 

Navy and commercial programs, and while our facilities and manufacturing processes are critical, I will tell you it is our shipbuilders 

who really make us successful. 

We employ 20,000 skilled craftsmen and -women and support 

personnel who are building our Nation’s nuclear Navy. It is our responsibility and our top priority to train our shipbuilders and continuously develop their skills. We invest heavily in workforce development, spending over $80 million annually in various types of 

training. And I’ll talk more in detail about our premier training 

program, The Apprentice School, in just a moment, but I would like 

to first talk about what we’re doing to attract and hire our Nation’s 

next generation of shipbuilders. 

Since we began building ships more than a century ago, two-dimensional paper drawings have been the primary method for conveying design data to our shipbuilders. Today, we are migrating to 

an integrated digital enterprise to do away with the need for traditional drawings, and we’re leveraging technology to transform how 

CEWDOCROOM with DISTILLER

24 

we build ships. Recognizing that this digital transformation will 

touch all areas of our business, we are coordinating with community colleges and university partners to incorporate digital shipbuilding techniques into many fields of study, including engineering, design, IT, and trades training. 

We are also actively involved with workforce investment boards, 

school districts, and local community colleges in several other ways. 

We support a Career Pathways program in concert with public 

schools throughout Hampton Roads where employees mentor students and provide opportunities to experience future careers. 

Another program we lead is called Girls with Engineering Minds 

in Shipbuilding, or GEMS, where our female engineers serve as 

mentors to middle school girls, encouraging them to pursue engineering studies in high school and beyond. We also offer local public school STEM educators and professional counselors the opportunity to take part in a 2-week paid internship to learn about shipbuilding and how the STEM concepts they teach are used in real 

workplace applications. 

We participate in industry events and nationwide diversity conferences. We recruit onsite during the conferences, and doing this 

has helped us diversify our workforce. But another way we recruit 

and attract and train our future shipbuilders and future leaders is 

through our world-class apprentice school. For 98 years, the school 

has been a great example of an alternative choice to traditional college experience and has provided tremendous results for both students and our company. 

Our apprentices are paid a salary and receive full benefits on day 

one, all while earning college credits and learning a trade in 19 

shipbuilding disciplines and 8 advanced programs. Our graduates 

represent about 13 percent of our current workforce and more than 

50 percent of our production management team. And although not 

obligated to stay with our company, more than 70 percent of our 

graduates are still with us after 15 years of graduation. 

Apprentice graduates are found at all levels of the organization 

and all levels of management. Currently, I am one of three senior 

leaders in the company who are graduates of The Apprentice 

School. The school has grown in popularity and become extremely 

competitive. On average, we receive more than 2,800 applications 

a year for 240 openings. We currently have 750 students enrolled, 

and we believe these are our future leaders. 

In closing, these are just a few examples of how we are recruiting 

and retaining a skilled workforce capable of operating and keeping 

pace with today’s rapidly evolving technologies. Training and professional development are not only vital for our success but are essential tactics in attracting and retaining millennial workers who 

demand ongoing learning and new opportunities. 

Thank you for the opportunity today, and I look forward to any 

questions you may have. 

[The statement of Mr. Hogan follows:] 

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Testimony, HEWC Subcommittee on Higher Education and 

Workforce Development- Hearing July 26, 2017 

House Subcommittee on Higher 

Education and Workforce Development 

Rayburn House Office Building 

Washington D.C. 

July 26, 2017 

H.R. Hogan 
26 

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Testimony, HEWC Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce 

Development- Hearing July 26, 2017 

Introduction 

Good morning and thank you. Chairman Guthrie, Ranking Member Davis, and 

distinguished members of the subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce 

Development, I am honored to represent Huntington Ingalls Industries in today's 

discussion. I want to thank the subcommittee for the invitation to share my thoughts 

with you today about this very important topic. 

My name is Rob Hogan. I am the Vice President of Manufacturing and Material 

Distribution at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries 

based in Newport News, Virginia. I am responsible for all shipyard manufactured 

material and material logistics for all Navy and commercial programs, this includes 

over: 

o 2,800 skilled craftsmen and support personnel 

o 2.3 million square feet of manufacturing footprint 

o 2.4 million square feet . of warehouse space 

o 500,000 products and assemblies delivered each year; from washers to 550+ 

ton modular units 

I am proud to say that I am an Apprentice School graduate, a member of The 

Apprentice School Alumni Association and Master Shipbuilder. The Apprentice School 

provided me with an education and experience that was unparalleled. It opened doors 

to a lifetime of experiences, opportunities and advancement that would not have been 

possible without its very foundation. Currently, I serve on the board of directors for the 

Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing and the Virginia Manufacturing 

Association, where I recently served as Chairman. I am also a recent appointee to the 

Board of Directors for FIRST Robotics' Chesapeake division. In addition, I am active in 

the American Welding Society, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and the 

Association for Manufacturing Excellence. 

Huntington Ingalls Industries 

Huntington Ingalls Industries is an American Fortune 500 company with $7.1 billion in 

annual revenues and a work backlog of more than $20 billion. We employ approximately 

37,000 workers at our facilities in Virginia (largest industrial employer), Mississippi 

(largest private employer), California, Florida, Texas, and Colorado. Among these 

workers are more than 15,000 craftsmen, 5,000 engineers, 1 ,600 with advanced degrees 

and more than 5,000 veterans. Many of our employees are third, fourth, and fifthgeneration shipbuilders, and more than 1,000 are "Master Shipbuilders"- employees with 

40 or more years of continuous service to the company. 

We also provide a wide variety of products and services to the commercial energy 

industry and other government customers, including the Department of Energy. And, 

we continuously grow our business in similar marketplaces. 

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Newport News Shipbuilding 

Today, Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) in Virginia is the sole designer, builder and 

refueler of U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and one of two providers of U.S. Navy nuclear 

powered submarines. We build the most advanced ships in the world using our 

expertise in nuclear propulsion, naval design and manufacturing. We are currently 

building the new Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers and Virginia-class submarines, 

and performing Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) on Nimitz-class aircraft 

carriers. We provide fleet services for our ships worldwide, and using our nuclear and 

manufacturing expertise, are expanding into Department of Energy and alternative 

energy ventures. The ships we build perform some of our country's most important 

work. Simply put, there is no other place in the world capable of doing the work we do. 

It is my privilege and honor to call myself a Newport News Shipbuilder and alumnus of 

the Apprentice School. NNS is an exciting place to work and every day provides a 

unique opportunity to learn and grow. It is a place I call home and where I work 

alongside the finest group of shipbuilders in the world. 

Workforce Development 

We invest heavily in workforce development, investing over $80 million annually in 

various types of training. This includes The Apprentice School, Night School, and 

tuition reimbursement programs that prepare our workforce to be effective in the 

important job of building, repairing and overhauling our country's Navy ships. We 

continue to invest precious capital funds to modernize our training facilities with stateof-the-art technology, and with real world, production mock-ups that allow our workers 

to learn production crafts in a safe, controlled environment. 

Through The Apprentice School, we partner with State and local officials and 

education providers to jointly build a workforce and a community. We are actively 

involved with workforce investment boards, school districts and community colleges in 

our area of Virginia. We are focused on bringing world-class Career and Technical 

Education High Schools to the region. 

We annually perform 75,000 training events on the waterfront, excluding The 

Apprentice School. As shipbuilding technologies advanced, as with the design and 

construction of the Ford-class aircraft carriers, so have our internal training programs. 

For the USS Gerald R. Ford (Commissioned by the U.S. Navy on 7/22/2017), more 

than 50 new production training courses were developed to provide the needed skills 

and knowledge to our workforce. 

All training at NNS is done with safety in mind. We value our employees above all else 

and will not compromise on their safety. Maintaining a safe and healthy work 

environment is our number one priority. It is a significant part of who we are and is 

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engrained in our culture and core values. 

History of The Apprentice School 

Apprenticeship is far older than the idea of public education which is a fairly modern 

notion. From the earliest times, craftsmen in every trade have traditionally taught young 

apprentices the skills that they had to learn to become master craftsmen themselves, and 

by the Middle Ages the apprenticeship system was highly organized into craft guilds Uust 

think, where would the world be without the genius of Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo, 

both apprentices to the early masters). 

It followed naturally that there would be an apprentice program at Newport News 

Shipbuilding. In the beginning, it was an informal system of 'over-the shoulder' training in 

keeping with the prevalent standards of the time. Eight years after the company was 

organized, and four years after the first ship was launched, the first apprentice was 

certified in 1894. 

In 1911, the company initiated a system whereby apprentices, and other company 

employees, might attend classes at night in the Newport News public schools. This was a 

step toward the establishment of education programs on company time and within the 

premises of the yard. An opportunity for workers to 'learn and earn.' 

More than 400 apprentices had completed their training and been certified by 1919, 

when the program was formalized and a school started within the yard. By Executive 

Order Number 24, dated July 1, 1919, the Rules for Apprentices were published. 

Apprenticeship was offered in more than a score of trades, with applicants from 

employees' families enjoying a preferred entry status. Minimum age for admission to the 

program was 16 and all applicants had to pass a physical exam and submit two 

references, 'certifying to the good moral of character and habits of the candidate.' All 

apprentices were required to attend class two half-days each week. Students were paid 

an hourly wage according to a set schedule and received a bonus of $100 at the 

completion of the program. 

Classes started with three instructors and 126 apprentices. Classroom instruction was 

intended to complement vocational training. "All lessons are designed to eliminate much 

that is uselessly theoretical, and to present those things which are part and parcel of the 

boys' trades," according to the company's newsletter. "Thus, the apprentice must not 

only work every problem offered, but work them correctly before proceeding to the next 

lesson." 

Enrollment in the school was never less than 120 even in the hardest times, and rose to 

450 by the late 1930's. The school won recognition as a model of its kind. Training by 

Intention' replaced the former hit-or-miss 'absorption' method of training in 1928, and 

fulltime instructors were hired as classroom teachers. According to a U.S. Department of 

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Labor report in 1940, almost all of the instructors had passed through the apprenticeship 

program themselves; at that time there were approximately 10 apprentices under the 

supervision of each of the 40 instructors. 

In addition to academic classes, there was an athletic program that was extremely 

popular with the apprentices and the workers in the yard. (The Apprentice football team 

went undefeated in its 6-game season in 1919.) An athletic building and modern stadium 

were opened in the 1930's, and a cafeteria, dormitory, and new education building 

followed. The Apprentice School had more than 1,000 students by World War II, with 

their own entertainment programs and publications. It was the only institution of its kind 

with a junior college ranking. 

The Apprentice School Today 

For 98 years, The Apprentice School has been guided by its mission to recruit and 

develop men and women for highly technically skilled careers in shipbuilding, and alumni 

who possess the knowledge, skills, work ethic, and pride of workmanship to fully 

anticipate and meet current and future needs of the U.S. Navy and shipbuilding industry. 

Throughout the school's history, program offerings have continued to evolve to meet 

customer demands for a highly skilled and innovative workforce. The constant in the 

evolutionary process is our cohort model, similar to that of the U.S. Naval Academy, used 

to deliver academic instruction that complements job experiences strategically timed to 

meet production and innovation demands. The shipbuilding and defense industries have 

benefited from this comprehensive approach to training and education and the work of 

alumni who possess extensive knowledge of all aspects of shipbuilding necessary to 

innovate through the 21st century. 

Since 1982, The Apprentice School has been accredited through the Commission of the 

Council on Occupational Education. Additionally, the school's 19 traditional shipbuilding 

apprenticeships and eight advanced apprenticeships are registered through the Virginia 

Department of Labor and Industry (DOLl). Our long-standing accreditation, and the fact 

that all our programs are registered with DOLl, demonstrates our commitment to offering 

high quality apprenticeships through an integrated approach that combines on-the-job 

training, related academic instruction, and leadership development opportunities. 

The Apprentice School prides itself on being operationally relevant to NNS. Its programs, 

enrollment levels, courses, and curricula respond to the current and future needs of the 

shipbuilding industry and U.S. Navy. The return on investment is evident in the results 

the more than 10,000 graduates have had on the company and the shipbuilding industry. 

Representing 13 percent of NNS's total current workforce, Apprentice School graduates 

comprise 60 percent of today's general foremen and 45 percent of the production 

management team. Company loyalty is strong among graduates as evidenced by the 

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extremely high retention rates. More than 70 percent of graduates are still with the 

company 15 years after graduation. Apprentice graduates are found at all levels of the 

organization, and all levels of management. Currently, there are three vice presidents 

that are members of NNS's senior staff. The more than 3,000 graduates currently 

employed at the company can be found in more than 230 different occupations. 

In addition to the contributions apprentices make to the company, opportunities also exist 

for apprentices to grow and polish their leadership skills outside of the shipbuilding 

environment. In an effort to grow personally, and give back to the community, 

opportunities exist to participate in student government and professional organizations, 

including Student Chapters of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, 

Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and Jaycees. Apprentices provide ongoing support 

for many community outreach activities such as Habitat for Humanity, Relay for Life, to 

name a few. 

Current and Future Programs 

While traditional shipbuilding trades such as shipfitter, electrician and welder continue to 

be the foundation for existing programs, The Apprentice School has recognized the 

impact of advanced technologies on the industry. As a result, the school has added 

highly-skilled programs such as marine designer, modeling and simulation analyst, and 

nuclear test technician. The Apprentice School partners with local community colleges 

and universities to deliver the related academic component of these apprenticeships, 

which culminates in associate and bachelor degrees. In addition, the school has 

established articulation agreements with 10 colleges and universities, providing a 

seamless transfer of credits and continuing education opportunities for graduates. 

Key Facts 

Admissions: 

o Applications received (last 4 year average) 2,800 

o Average annual hiring: 230-240 

o Selection ratio - 12:1 

o 60 percent of those hired have some education beyond high school 

Current Enrollment- 750 (as of 7-24-17) 

Projected End of Year Enrollment- 825 

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Current Demographics: 

o 33 percent minority 

o 16 percent female 

o 9 percent veterans 

o 28 percent apprentices worked in the company before entering an apprenticeship 

(i.e. "transfers") 

Provided below is a comparison of apprentice graduates to college graduates: 

$273,000 Scholarship (includes 

benefits, earnings while in school, 

tuition, books and fees) 

Earnings of- $187,000 for a fouryear apprenticeship (includes 

earnings while in schoof) 

4-8 years of workexperience leading 

to Associates & Bachelor degrees 

Incidental/ Part-time income during 

college 

Bachelor degrees With little to no .work 

experience 

Attracting the Next Generation of Shipbuilders 

Integrated Digital Shipbuilding (IDS) 

Since we began building ships over 130 years ago, 2-dimensional paper drawings have 

been the primary method for conveying design data to our shipbuilders. For most of that 

time span, the same could be said for any manufacturing or construction company 

across the world. 

Today, the use of such drawings is in decline across the industrial landscape. Many 

companies, including peers in aerospace and defense have done away with the 

traditional drawings entirely and rely solely on digital work instructions- and have 

demonstrated large productivity and quality gains by doing so. 

Technology has now caught up allowing the potential to make drawings obsolete in 

shipbuilding over the coming years. Migrating to an integrated digital enterprise, without 

the need for traditional drawings, will transform the way we build ships and provide NNS 

the competitive edge necessary to maintain and grow our business over the coming 

decades. Technology advancements such as this will also aid with NNS' ability to retract 

and retain the next generation of shipbuilders. 

In 2016, NNS partnered with Old Dominion University (ODU) to offer an elective course 

in digital shipbuilding including model based definition, model based enterprise, digital 

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work instructions, laser scanning, PLM/CAD environments, and lifecycle maintenance 

and modernization. 

The success of that pilot course has led us to collaborate with ODU to seek funding to 

stand up a certificate program in digital shipbuilding. Recognizing that the digital 

transformation will touch all areas of our business, we are coordinating with community 

college and university partners to incorporate digital shipbuilding techniques into many 

fields of study including engineering, design, IT, and trades training. The programs are 

also being incorporated into classes at the Apprentice SchooL The same skill sets and 

competencies that are being developed through the course and certificate programs are 

also being incorporated into classes at The Apprentice SchooL 

In addition, we are building IDS features including Augmented Reality, additive 

manufacturing, and other components into our K-12 public school outreach through 

Career Pathways as we continue to work to counteract outdated stereotypes of 

manufacturing careers. 

Career Pathways 

In concert with public schools throughout Hampton Roads, NNS employees mentor 

students and provide opportunities to experience future careers. This partnership 

provides a unique opportunity for the business to contribute directly to the school 

experience of the youth who are just beginning to formulate dreams for the future. A 

partnership can take many forms and is flexible to accommodate a wide range needs of 

both the business and the schools. 

Teacher I Counselor Internship 

NNS offers local Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) educators 

and professional counselors the opportunity to take part in a two-week long paid 

internship during the summer. Designed specifically for educators, participants are 

exposed to all facets of shipbuilding to include engineering, modeling and simulation, 

augmented reality and hands-on experience with trades. It provides an opportunity for 

teachers to witness how the STEM concepts they teach in the classroom are used in real 

work place applications. Teachers and counselors are also exposed to the vast career 

options available at NNS and through The Apprentice SchooL 

Job Shadowing 

Job shadowing program affords students the opportunity to learn about careers at NNS 

and more. Paired with mentors from our engineering and information technology 

divisions, students tour different areas of NNS to learn about ship design/engineering, 

and ship construction. Job shadowing takes place twice a year and allows students to 

meet required job shadowing or intern hours. 

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eSHIP/iSHIP 

eSHIP and iSHIP Programs are geared towards high school seniors planning to attend a 

2-year or 4-year higher learning institution to major in an ABET accredited engineering 

program or an IT program. These students learn about engineering through a trades 

immersion experience as high school seniors and begin a paid internship before they 

start college. Provided all requirements are met, students will continue to intern every 

summer, and upon graduation be eligible for full time employment as engineers or 

engineering technicians. 

Girls with Engineering Minds in Shipbuilding (GEMS) 

The GEMS program seeks to diversify the talent pipeline in engineering by targeting 

middle school girls in two middle schools with high at risk populations. Female NNS 

engineers serve as mentors to the girls at after-school meetings throughout the year. The 

girls engage in hands-on STEM and engineering activities to expand their horizons and 

encourage them to pursue careers in these areas. GEMS participants are encouraged to 

pursue engineering study in high school and beyond. 

Engineering Career Day 

Career Pathways partners with the Peninsula Engineers Council, Jefferson Lab and 

NASA to host the annual Engineering Career Day. During this event, students are able to 

visit engineers and other STEM professionals from NNS, NASA and Jefferson Lab. This 

event helps provide students with an understanding of the many different STEM careers 

from local businesses. 

Manufacturing Day 

National Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) brings manufacturers, educators and community 

leaders together to address challenges in order to help their communities and future 

generations thrive. It is a day to address common misperceptions about manufacturing 

by giving manufacturers an opportunity to open doors and show, in a coordinated effort, 

what manufacturing is- and what it is not. By working together during and after MFG 

Day, manufacturers begin to address the skilled labor shortage they face, connect with 

future generations, take charge of the public image of manufacturing, and ensure the 

ongoing prosperity of the whole industry. 

Youth Career Expo 

NNS is the premier sponsor for the Youth Career Expo that is held at the Hampton 

Roads Convention Center. The Youth Career Expo aims to educate students about local 

careers and businesses. During this event, students are able to walk around, obtain 

information from local businesses, participate in human resources related panel 

discussions and receive feedback on their interviews through the mock interview 

sessions. 

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Development- Hearing July 26, 2017 

FIRST Robotics 

NNS has formed a unique partnership with our regional FIRST Robotics affiliate, FIRST 

Chesapeake. In addition to providing monetary support to the program, we have worked 

to place NNS mentors or coaches with each FIRST team in the region to help the 

students achieve their goals and in so doing to let them know about career paths that are 

directly applicable to the skills they are developing through FIRST. We also put out 

displays at many of the competitions in the region so that students, families, and 

educators can see the innovative work being done at NNS and learn about career 

options. FIRST Robotics instills in students the type of technical, analytical, and 

problem-solving skills we want to see in our future employees and apprentices and our 

involvement reflects the value we place in the program. 

National Diversity Conferences 

We also participate in several nation-wide diversity conferences to include: 

• Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Conference 

• Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) and STEM Conference 

• Women of Color STEM Conference 

• Society of Hispanic Engineers STEM Conference 

• Society of Asian Scientist and Engineers STEM Conference 

We recruit onsite during the conferences, and doing this has helped us diversify our 

workforce. 

Summary 

These are examples of how we are recruiting and retaining a skilled workforce capable of 

operating and keeping pace with today's rapidly evolving technology is our top priority. 

NNS continues to establish robust training and development programs intended to 

develop and leverage the full potential of the workforce, increase employee engagement 

and efficiency, drive innovation, quality, productivity and growth. Training and 

professional development are not only vital for our success but are essential tactics in 

attracting and retaining millennia! workers who demand ongoing learning and new 

opportunities. 

NNS is in the midst of an exciting revolution in new technologies, ideas and 

opportunities. A bright new future exists in this industry and by investing in our most 

valuable asset- our employees - we can improve worker retention, boost productivity, 

strengthen product quality and ensure their global competitiveness. 

Thank you for the opportunity to address you here today and I look forward to any 

questions you may have. 

10 
35 

Chairman GUTHRIE. Thank you for your testimony, as well. 

Ms. Hughes, you’re now recognized for 5 minutes for your opening statement. 

STATEMENT OF STACEY JOHNSON HUGHES, STATE CHAIR, 

KENTUCKY FEDERATION FOR ADVANCED MANUFACTURING 

EDUCATION (KYFAME), RUSSELLVILLE, KENTUCKY 

Ms. HUGHES. Thank you, Chairman Guthrie, Ranking Member 

Davis, and all the members of the House Education and Workforce 

Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development. I 

am honored to have the opportunity to be here. My name is Stacey 

Hughes, and I currently serve as the State chairperson for Kentucky FAME, the Kentucky Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education. 

In addition to Kentucky FAME, since 2008, I have had the honor 

of leading a team of HR professionals in the areas of employee relations, legal, benefits, medical wellness, and education and development as Logan Aluminum’s HR manager. Logan Aluminum, located in Russellville, Kentucky, is one of the largest aluminum rolling mills in North America, if not the largest. It has grown to more 

than to four times its initial capacity and provides over 40 percent 

of North America’s beverage can sheet production. 

Today, Logan Aluminum employs over 1,200 team members, produces 2 billion pounds per year, and is in the middle of a half a 

billion dollar expansion, which will add automotive capacity. Over 

the last 30 years, Logan Aluminum’s education department has 

managed a successful maintenance apprentice program. This apprentice program has over 175 graduates, and 58 percent of our 

current engineering and maintenance leadership are graduates of 

this program. 

In 2014, Logan Aluminum became a member of Kentucky FAME 

and soon transitioned our thriving program to FAME’s advanced 

manufacturing technician earn-and-learn apprenticeship program. 

Logan Aluminum entrusted our existing program due to our belief 

in Kentucky FAME’s vision and mission. So what is Kentucky 

FAME, and why would Logan Aluminum and over 200 Kentucky 

manufacturers join this effort? Kentucky FAME is an industry-led 

public and private partnership dedicated to implementing worldclass models for developing manufacturing talent. FAME’s vision is 

to transform Kentucky’s manufacturing workforce to ensure the 

economic success of our companies and our Commonwealth. 

Kentucky FAME is an active employer-led partnership that 

achieves its mission and vision through a variety of core functions. 

In 10 regional chapters, along with the education and economic development partners, FAME identifies critical needs skills in manufacturing, creates market-driven career paths, standardizes technical education curriculum and program delivery, provides meaningful work experience concurrent to a student’s educational experience, markets and promotes manufacturing careers, and recruits 

manufacturing’s next generation of employees through student 

sponsorship. 

Kentucky FAME is not a new organization. With the leadership 

of our founding member, Toyota Manufacturing, Kentucky FAME 

launched in 2009 with nine manufacturers in central Kentucky. 

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36 

This initial group collaborated with their local technical college to 

develop a new program to meet the growing need for multiskilled 

maintenance technicians. The Advanced Manufacturing Technician 

Program, known as AMT, is a 2-year associate’s degree that incorporates technical skills, personal behavior, soft skills, manufacturing core exercises, and work experience. Each AMT student attends class 2 days a week and then works in their sponsoring company for 3 days a week. 

Since 2009, FAME has grown exponentially. Today, over 225 students have graduated from AMT and over 95 percent currently 

work full time with the employers that sponsor them. Most AMT 

graduates earn an average of $45,000 per year when they enter full 

time, and they have little to no student debt. AMT graduation 

rates exceed current trends with a graduation rate of 89 percent. 

This compares to 12.8 or 49.4 percent with other associate’s and 

bachelor’s degree programs respectively. 

In the fall semester of this year, 650 first- and second-year students will be enrolled in Kentucky FAME-endorsed programs. As 

previously mentioned, employers’ numbers have increased as well. 

We have 10 regional chapters. In addition to the AMT program, we 

endorse and sponsor students enrolled in other manufacturing career pathways, such as entry-level production, tool and die, as well 

as manufacturing-focused engineering and business bachelor’s degree programs. 

Kentucky employers also invited almost 100 high school teachers 

into their facilities this summer for paid externships. Furthermore, 

other business sectors, such as healthcare, finance, and IT, have 

expressed interest in duplicating the FAME model to build apprenticeships in their trade. The success of Kentucky FAME has caused 

it to spread to other States, such as Texas, Missouri, Tennessee, 

Mississippi, and Alabama. 

FAME has received numerous awards and recognition from entities such as the National Career Pathways Network, the German 

American Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of 

Manufacturing. 

In closing, the benefits of KYFAME to employers and educators 

and students are numerous. FAME helps companies develop curriculum programs to grow their current and future talent base. The 

partnership between employers and educators ensures a high 

standard of industry quality. Because of company collaboration, 

companies both large and small can participate. FAME’s largest 

employer has over 9,000 employees, and its smallest has 25. 

Students earn technical, practical, and high-demand education 

that leads to a promising career with little to no student debt. 

Speaking on behalf of Kentucky FAME, I appreciate your committee’s work on this important issue. A skilled and ready workforce 

is critical to the growth of my company, my State, and our Nation. 

Kentucky FAME believes we have created a proven apprenticeship 

model to increase the quality of our workforce, and I’m proud to 

share it with you today. 

Kentucky FAME supports the spirit of the Presidential executive 

order expanding apprenticeships in America and respectfully requests this subcommittee to introduce legislation to promote emCEWDOCROOM with DISTILLER

37 

ployer-led programs such as Kentucky FAME. I’m happy to answer 

any questions you may have. Thank you. 

[The statement of Ms. Hughes follows:] 

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Congressional Testimony 

House Education and Workforce 

Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development 

Stacey Hughes 

KY FAME State Chairperson 

HR Manager, Logan Aluminum 

Chairman Guthrie, Ranking Member Davis, and all the members of the House Education and 

Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, I want to thank 

you for the opportunity to be here. It is my pleasure. I am honored to testify this morning. My 

name is Stacey Hughes and I currently serve as the State Chairperson for KY FAME, the 

Kentucky Federation of Advanced Manufacturing Education. 

In addition to KY FAME, since 2008, I had the honor of leading a team of HR professionals in the 

areas of employee relations, legal, benefits, medical, wellness, and education and development 

as Logan Aluminum's Human Resources Manager. Logan Aluminum located in Russellville, KY is 

one of the largest aluminum rolling mills in North America, if not the largest. It has grown to 

more than four times its initial capacity and provides over 40% of North America's beverage can 

sheet production. Today, Logan Aluminum employs over 1200 team members, produces 2 

billion pounds per year and is in the middle of a nearly $500 million expansion which will add 

automotive sheet capability. 

Logan Aluminum's education and development department manages a successful maintenance 

apprenticeship program. This apprenticeship has produced over 175 graduates over the last 30 

years and 58% of our current engineering and maintenance leadership are graduates of this 

program. Furthermore, our historic plant turnover from this apprenticeship program has been 

less than 6%. In 2014, Logan Aluminum became a member of KY FAME, and soon transitioned 

our thriving program to FAME's Advanced Manufacturing Technician (AMT) earn and learn 

apprenticeship program. Logan Aluminum entrusted our existing program due to its belief in 

KY FAME's vision and mission. 

So what is KY FAME and why would Logan Aluminum and now over 200 Kentucky 

manufacturers join this effort? KY FAME is an industry-led public private partnership dedicated 

to implementing world-class models for developing manufacturing talent. FAME's vision is to 

transform Kentucky's manufacturing workforce to ensure the economic success of its member 

companies and our Commonwealth. 

KY FAME is an active employer-led partnership that achieves its mission and vision through a 

variety of core functions. Comprised of over 200 employer members in 10 regional chapters, 

along with education and economic development partners, FAME identifies critical skill needs in 

manufacturing; creates market driven career paths for manufacturing, standardizes technical 

education curriculum and program delivery; provides meaningful work experience concurrent 
39 

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to a student's educational experience; markets and promotes manufacturing careers; and 

recruits manufacturing's next generation of employees through student sponsorship. 

FAME is not a new organization. With the leadership of our founding member, Toyota Motor 

Manufacturing Kentucky, FAME launched in 2009 with nine manufacturers in central Kentucky. 

This initial group collaborated with their local technical college to develop a new program to 

meet the growing need for multi-skilled maintenance technicians. The Advanced 

Manufacturing Technician program, known as AMT, is a two-year associate's degree that 

incorporates technical skills, personal behaviors (soft skills), manufacturing core exercises, and 

work experience. Each AMT attends class two days a week for eight hours a day. The other 

three days a week, AMT students work for a sponsoring employer who matches their work 

experience with the AMT curriculum. 

Since 2009, FAME has grown exponentially. To date, over 22S students have graduated from 

AMT and over 95% of them currently work full-time for the employers who sponsored them. 

Most AMT graduates earn an average $45,000 per year when they enter full-time employment 

they have little to no student debt. AMT graduation rates also exceed current trends. AMT 

students maintain an on-time graduation rate of 89%. This compares to 12.8% and 49.4% for 

other associate's and bachelor's degree programs respectively. In the Fall semester of 2017 

over 650 first and second year students will be enrolled in FAME endorsed programs. 

As previously mentioned, employer numbers have increased as well. What started with nine 

companies now consists of a statewide organization, with 10 regional chapters and over 200 

manufacturing members. In addition to the AMT program, FAME also endorses and sponsors 

students enrolled in other manufacturing career pathways such as entry-level production 

operation, computerized machining and manufacturing, tool and die as well as manufacturing 

focused engineering and business bachelor's degree programs. KY FAME employers also invited 

almost 100 high school teachers into their facilities this summer for paid one-week externships 

to learn about manufacturing. Furthermore, other business sectors such as healthcare, finance 

and IT have expressed interest in duplicating the FAME model to build apprenticeships in their 

trades. The success of KY FAME has caused it to spread to other states including Indiana, Texas, 

West Virginia, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. 

FAME has received numerous awards and recognition from entities such as National Network of 

Business and Industry Associations, the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing 

Innovation Institute, the National Career Pathways Network, the German-American Chamber of 

Commerce, the National Academies of Science and Engineering, and the National Association of 

Manufacturing. Each of these organizations recognize KY FAME as a model for technical and 

apprenticeship- style education. 

In closing, the benefits of KY FAME to employers, educators, and students are numerous. FAME 

helps companies develop curriculum and programs to grow their current and future talent 

base. The partnership between employers and educators ensures a high standard of industry 
40 

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quality in program delivery. Because of company collaboration, companies both large and 

small can participate. FAME's largest employer has over 9,000 employees and its smallest 

member employees 25. Students earn a technical, practical and high-demand education that 

leads to a promising career with little to no student debt. 

Speaking on behalf of KY FAME as its State Chairperson, I appreciate this committee's work on 

this important issue. A skilled and ready workforce is critical for the growth of my company, 

my state and our nation. KY FAME believes we have created a proven apprenticeship model to 

increase the quality of our workforce and I am proud to share it with you today. KY FAME 

supports the spirit of the Presidential Executive Order Expanding Apprenticeships in America 

and respectfully requests this Subcommittee to introduce legislation to promote employer-led 

programs such as KY FAME. I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you 

again for your time. 
41 

Chairman GUTHRIE. Thank you for your testimony. 

We’ll now move into a round of questions, and I will recognize 

Chairwoman Foxx for 5 minutes for the purpose of asking questions. 

Ms. FOXX. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

And I want to thank our witnesses for being here. This is a very 

hot topic all over the country these days, and I’m very pleased that 

we have invited you all to come in and speak. 

Mr. Bennett, I agree with your testimony that President Trump’s 

executive order is an important first step toward increasing apprenticeship opportunities. Our workforce development programs 

are successful only if they can work at the speed of business, not 

the speed of government. Given the construction industry makes up 

the majority of registered apprenticeships, you’re uniquely qualified 

to speak to the strengths and limitations of the current registration 

process, and you have done a pretty good job of explaining some of 

that. What changes should we consider if we want to increase business participation in the program? 

Mr. BENNETT. Thank you. That’s a great question. I think, to 

begin with, what you can do is make sure that business and industry is heard and represented on a regular basis. The industry, like 

you’ve heard here from the rest of the panel, is so dynamic and 

changing so quickly -- our society is changing so quickly with technologies and just the means and the method, so our ability to stay 

not only on top of but try to anticipate where it is going is very 

important. So keeping those open lines of communication are very 

important to how we progress forward. 

Ms. FOXX. Great. Because we have such a limited time, I’m going 

to ask you later if you would give us some other specific recommendations on the industry-recognized process, but I want to 

make sure I have a little time to ask some other questions, but 

we’ll come back to that. 

Mr. Peglow, family is incredibly important, and I don’t think we 

here in Washington talk enough about how important families are 

in inspiring people to improve themselves. In your testimony, you 

mentioned how getting engaged to your fiancee changed how you 

think about things. Why was getting engaged important to your decision to go back to school? 

Mr. PEGLOW. That’s a great question. Thank you. When I graduated high school, I was by myself, and that’s all I had to think 

about was myself, so I really didn’t think about family out of college or what kind of career I needed to support myself in the future. And when I met my now wife, I had to think about things 

in a different aspect. It wasn’t just myself; it was going to be me 

and her. Eventually, we’re going to want to buy a house, start a 

family, so I had to think on a larger scale instead of just myself. 

Ms. FOXX. Thank you very much. 

Ms. Hughes, I have heard from a number of employers that they 

cannot rely on the certificate of completion from a registered apprenticeship program as a guarantee of program quality. Given 

Logan Aluminum’s long success with its own apprenticeship program, what guarantee did you have that Kentucky FAME’s program quality would meet Logan Aluminum’s standards? 

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Ms. HUGHES. Well, first, because we had a very wonderful partnership with our local technical college and with Kentucky FAME 

chapters and Kentucky FAME itself, we actually sit down and go 

over the curriculum together to make sure that it fits our needs. 

So we were very pleased with that. It actually mirrored the program that we already had, except it was actually a better program 

because it was the cohort program where our students didn’t have 

to go to several schools in Bowling Green. They are actually located 

at a campus in Franklin, Kentucky, and they are together. Just 

like Robbie said, they work together, and we found that to be very 

helpful to the program. So we were very pleased with the classes. 

We know they’re taught by the same professors that we had used 

in our other program previously, and the classes fit our needs. 

And that’s the great flexibility about Kentucky FAME, is that we 

do have that relationship and can sit down with the school and 

make changes if our technology changes or things need to be added 

to a class. 

Ms. FOXX. Thank you. 

Mr. Bennett, again, I will follow up with you on some very specific recommendations for the proposed industry-recognized process 

and ask for that later. 

And I did want to make one comment to Mr. Hogan. I’m running 

out of time, but I would like to follow up with you, too, because I 

was a little surprised at the very low percentage of people who are 

graduates of your registered apprenticeship program who are working in your own business or in the shipbuilding. So I would like to 

follow up on that with you because I would have thought that you 

would be hiring a larger percentage, but there probably is a good 

explanation for that, and I’ll follow up with you on it. 

Thank you all again very much. It has been a wonderful hearing. 

Chairman GUTHRIE. Thank the gentlewoman for yielding back. 

I now recognize the ranking member of the full committee, Mr. 

Scott, 5 minutes for questions. 

Mr. SCOTT. Thank you. 

Mr. Hogan, did you want to respond to that? Because I thought 

it was just the opposite. You have a lot of people presently employed by the shipyard that went through The Apprentice School. 

Can you go through those numbers again? 

Mr. HOGAN. Certainly, and that’s why, in the follow-up, I was 

going to clarify what numbers the chairwoman might have been referring to. Today, we have -- we have just recently celebrated our 

10,000th graduate from the apprentice program in those 98 years. 

We have over 3,000 of the apprentice graduates in the company 

today. 

As I said, about 45 to 50 percent of our production management 

workforce is apprentice graduate, so, at 20,000 people, we have 750 

on roll on any given year, and in graduating those, we’re in the 

high 80 to 90 percent range up to 10 years after graduation that 

stay with the company. 

So our numbers of retention of apprentices are very high. Just 

a smaller subset of our total employment population. 

Mr. SCOTT. And one of the numbers I think was 1 out of 12. It 

is so popular; everybody want wants to get into it. 

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Mr. HOGAN. Yes. As I said, the application rate is about 2,400, 

2,500 applicants a year for the 240 slots that we have. And several 

years ago, when the economy had really taken a downturn, we 

were running in the 5- to 6,000 range of applicants, but we kept 

it at about the 250 a year entry. 

Mr. SCOTT. When someone graduates from The Apprentice 

School, what kind of credential do they get, and is that recognized 

in the industry? 

Mr. HOGAN. It is a journeyman’s certificate in whatever trade 

that they had served their apprenticeship in. For example, when I 

graduated from the apprentice program in 1980, I received a journeyman’s certificate as a welder, and I could have stayed with the 

company, but I could have taken that certificate to most any industry and had it been recognized as a full-fledged journeyman in that 

trade, and that’s still the same today. 

Mr. SCOTT. Thank you. 

Mr. Bennett, what’s the difference between a registered program 

and an industry-recognized program? 

Mr. BENNETT. Yes, in simple terms, a registered program governed by the Department of Labor is structured in terms of the 

amount of classroom time, as well as the on-the-job, earn-as-youlearn work experience whereas an industry-recognized credential -- 

if I give an example of the National Center for Construction Education and Research, they’re a provider of curriculum to the construction industry all across the world, and what happens is, in 

those programs, when you complete your accredited -- it’s nationally recognized. And the value of that is, regardless of where you 

go in the country, you’re in a national database; you can be brought 

up in that database. So, if you come from California to Maine, I can 

look at where you are in your program development. You may have 

completed it. It would tell me that. You may have partially completed it, and you could pick right up where you left off with us 

from your previous employer. 

Mr. SCOTT. If somebody wanted to start one of these, what would 

they have to go through? 

Mr. BENNETT. To establish themselves, what they would do is 

work with the national center. You actually become -- you have to 

get your instructors certified. So there’s a qualification process for 

getting your instructor certified to teach. You have to be an accredited center or work under an accredited center. It is very well governed in terms of its structure, policies, means, and methods that 

need to be followed, and then you begin teaching. 

Mr. SCOTT. Is that process more or less complicated than registration? 

Mr. BENNETT. In my experience, it is less complicated. 

Mr. SCOTT. What do you have to do for registration? 

Mr. BENNETT. For registration, you have to work with those individual States to get your programs approved, and this may not be 

a popular subject, but it is very political. We can -- just as a matter 

of fact, talked with a constituent of mine who tried to get their carpentry program approved. They were told you have to include 

framing and residential carpentry in your form building program, 

which are trades that they are skill sets within that trade that 

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they’re never going to use. So, unless they put those skill sets in, 

they would not be allowed to be registered. 

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. Hogan, is that your experience in the Virginia 

Manufacturers Association, complication in registration? 

Mr. HOGAN. With the VMA, they have established with community colleges in the Commonwealth of Virginia a Manufacturing 

Skills Institute program, and that is tailored to multiple industries. 

It can cover something as wide, as specific as maintenance up to 

and including a machinist type program, and community colleges 

are equipped to offer the classes that are associated with that skills 

institute, perform the assessment, and then award varying levels 

of manufacturing skills certificates. 

Mr. SCOTT. Is the registration process more complicated or industry recognition process more complicated, in your view? 

Mr. HOGAN. We are currently registered through the Department 

of Labor at Newport News for our apprentice program, and, you 

know, we have been accredited since 1982, registered since then, 

as well. We don’t find it to be overly burdensome and complicated. 

Once our programs are registered, unless we make some substantive change to them, we don’t have to reregister the programs. 

It is fairly easy to maintain registration. 

Mr. SCOTT. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman GUTHRIE. Thank you. I thank the ranking member for 

yielding. 

And I’ll now recognize myself for 5 minutes for purpose of questions. 

And, first, I’ll make a couple of introductions to show, talking 

about Kentucky FAME, that it is in the highest levels of our Commonwealth and focus, is we have Leeann Veatch. She is here from 

the Governor’s Office and shows our Governor’s commitment to 

this. 

And, Mr. Peglow, I believe you referenced your wife, and she is 

sitting right behind you here supporting you here today. So I would 

like to welcome my constituent here as well today. I appreciate you 

being here. 

So I would like to ask you a question first, Mr. Peglow. You described how Kentucky FAME is structured so that you work 3 days 

while going to school the other 2 days. This is in contrast to other 

types of programs you mentioned, as you said, where you would 

first have studied 2 years, earn a degree, before going into the field 

of study. Why do you think the combination of work and study in 

Kentucky FAME is valuable, and what unique things do you think 

you have learned by being able to do work and study at the same 

time? 

Mr. PEGLOW. I think going to work and school at the same time 

is very valuable because most programs that I have looked at other 

than this, you go to school 3 or 4 or 5 days a week full time. And 

most of the time, the job you do while you’re in college is a parttime job other than what you’re going to school for. This way, I get 

what I learn in school on Tuesday and Thursday; I can take to 

work Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and apply it to everything 

that we do in work. And the companies and school has worked well 

together, and as we’re learning stuff in school, we implement sessions and work to go along with the same things we’re doing in 

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school. So, if we do machining, then we’re also doing machining at 

work to kind of balance those out and help our education, I guess. 

Chairman GUTHRIE. Well, thank you, that’s very good. I toured 

a Kentucky FAME program in Owensboro and had similar sentiments from people who are working there and studying at the 

same time, so thanks. 

So, Ms. Hughes, throughout your testimony, you emphasize the 

importance of Kentucky FAME being employer- or industry-led. 

What does this mean, and why do you think it is important? 

Ms. HUGHES. Well, each chapter is directed by those employers 

that join it, and it is very important to them that they are active 

in the community and out recruiting in the community. But we as 

employers understand our needs better than anyone, and we can 

partner with the local school or community college to design the 

curriculum that we need. Obviously, manufacturers need to work 

together on this, instead of working separately, and working together, we have a larger voice within the community colleges to effect changes to the curriculum. 

Manufacturing in any business, technology is changing fast, and 

if we need to make a change or add something to a class, add a 

new section, we can have that sitdown with the community college 

and have that conversation. And that’s not to criticize a community 

college or a technical school. They’re just simply not in our businesses every day, and they don’t know how quickly the technology 

changes, but we are aware of that. 

It also, like, as I said, gets the employer very involved in the 

community, whether that’s out in recruiting -- I mean, we’re going 

out to high schools, out to ACC schools, out in the community. We 

also recruit veterans coming out of the military. It gets us very involved in our communities in doing that. We’re not only promoting 

the advanced technician program, but we are advancing manufacturing jobs in general, which is extremely important in our country. 

For so long, people think that manufacturing is dirty, dark, and 

dangerous, and that is simply not true in our manufacturers today, 

and we need to bring those young people and people back into manufacturing in our country. 

Chairman GUTHRIE. Well, thanks. And, also, in our area, a lot of 

people may not understand what -- the Bowling Green area, but it 

is just north of Nashville about an hour, which is -- Nashville is 

one of the boom cities of the country, and I-65, so a lot of manufacturing is located in our area. Of course, Logan Aluminum has been 

there quite some time, but whenever I’m home touring it, and all 

of my area actually, the things you hear about, one, is access to 

skilled workers to come into work in the factory, which you are trying to address. But the other one is turnover. You hear that quite 

a bit from people in turnover. And I know that Logan Aluminum 

-- how is Logan Aluminum’s apprenticeship program and being 

part of being Kentucky FAME helped you dealing with the turnover that so many other companies have to deal with? 

Ms. HUGHES. Well, we have had very low turnover in our apprenticeship program over the last 30 years. It has been less than 6 

percent, after they leave the program, they have stayed with our 

company. And one of the reasons for that, frankly, is Logan’s culture. We have a very different culture from a lot of manufacturers. 

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We have self-directed work teams, and that causes a very low turnover because we offer -- they have a voice very much so in our business. We live by principles and things like that. So that’s very 

unique to Logan Aluminum. And, historically, we have very low 

turnover for a manufacturer anyway. 

But the investment that we are making in the individuals that 

go through Kentucky FAME’s program is very high because our 

program is not just the 18 months they’re in the program in school; 

they spend another year out on the floor as an apprentice before. 

And we pay for all of their education, and we also pay a very good 

salary while they’re in the program to support them and their families. And we are investing about $200,000 per apprentice through 

that program. They recognize that. They know that we want them 

to have a career. This is not just a job for them. It is a career. And 

also a lot -- 

Chairman GUTHRIE. My time is kind of expiring. So I appreciate 

the answer. Just to be fair to the other questioners -- but thank 

you for your answer. 

I will now recognize the Ranking Member Davis for 5 minutes 

for her. 

Mrs. DAVIS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you all so 

much for being here. We greatly appreciate it. 

And I think, you know, we’re trying to make some contrasts here, 

and in some ways, I’m not sure that contrast is necessarily there, 

but for clarification, Mr. Hogan, do you feel as if the apprenticeship 

school is industry-led? 

Mr. HOGAN. It is. It is led by our current company as part of 

what has been a shrinking industry. The maritime industry has 

shrunk greatly in the United States in the 40 years that I have 

been in the business. You consider that there’s not really any 

major, if any, commercial shipbuilding going on in the United 

States today. We are -- we used to be part of what was called one 

of the Big 6 yards, and now it is really down to two entities. General Dynamics has their three yards. Newport News has our three 

yards. And then there’s, you know, a smattering of smaller yards 

through the Gulf Coast in the Florida panhandle area. And we are 

an industry leader in shipbuilding. So, in many ways, you could 

say that it is industry-led. 

I’m very proud to say Huntington Ingalls, with our Pascagoula, 

Mississippi, facility, has the Haley Barbour Maritime Institute, 

which exists there, and they have done -- as we have been part of 

the same organization -- modeled some of their apprentice program 

after ours. Speaking with Representative Courtney earlier, and 

General Dynamics electric boat is reconstituting their apprentice 

program as part of the ramp-up that we see in defense and shipbuilding in this Nation. 

So, you know, it is kind of an either/or. You can say we’re company-led or you can say we’re industry-led because it is a much 

smaller industry than perhaps automotive, food, other manufacturing industries in the United States. Does that answer your 

question? 

Mrs. DAVIS. I think so. You know, if I were a parent and I was 

with my son or daughter -- and you do a very good job recruiting 

women, which I think is admirable, and certainly we want to make 

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sure that continues to grow -- and I’m trying to figure out, you 

know, the differences here, and as I understand it, there are many 

registered apprenticeship programs that then allow someone to 

qualify for an industry recognition certification. So is there -- you 

know, the cart before the horse. How does that work? 

Mr. HOGAN. Well, certainly, an apprentice from another company 

or even industry would have some recognition in our company, but 

they would not hold the same certification that a Newport News 

Apprentice School graduate would have. We have a very strict curriculum. It is a mix of both -- we like to call it the three pillars 

are craftsmanship, scholarship, and leadership. It is modeled very 

much after the Naval Academy’s approach. So, and I think Mr. 

Peglow, you know, hit it on the mark when he talked about it is 

the right mix of scholastic work along with your craft work at the 

same time, and then we add in the leadership component to it 

whereas others, even where they’re industry-led, whether they’re 

not registered, they’re often focused more just on the craft portion 

of it. And there’s nothing wrong with that. We just find it being 

the combination of those three that we have in place to really help 

create the leaders of the future in shipbuilding for Newport News. 

Mrs. DAVIS. Is it your understanding then that the fact that -- 

where does the added value come from? You mentioned the leadership, which I think is critically important but may not be something that industry cares about. But is it the registration part of 

the program that gives that added value? 

Mr. HOGAN. The registration part is flexible enough where it allows us to focus on those three components of it. It doesn’t restrict 

us to one. It does allow an industry point of view that we’re able 

to put into our programs, and we have found it to be, as our president -- previous president and current president -- has termed it 

kind of our secret sauce at Newport News in the right makeup of 

those three aspects of it, and we have just found the right balance 

of that to create both future craftsmen for the company but also future leaders. 

Mrs. DAVIS. I wonder, maybe -- thank you, Mr. Hogan -- because 

our time is limited, but, Mr. Bennett or Ms. Hughes, do you want 

to comment? I mean, is there something about that people might 

inquire of Kentucky FAME and say, you know, it sounds like you’re 

doing a lot of those same things, but you seem to want very much 

to want a distinction between the programs? Did I understand that 

right or -- 

Ms. HUGHES. I don’t know that we make a definite distinction. 

The Kentucky FAME AMT technician is not a registered program. 

However, we do have member companies who do have registered 

programs, as well. The reason that I think Kentucky FAME is so 

unique is that it has flexibility for employers of all sizes. Mr. 

Hogan comes from a very large employer, and in Kentucky, I come 

from a larger employer, but an employer that has less than 100 

employees, which many manufacturers do, I think this is an option 

for them because they can come and have a -- sponsor a student, 

maybe one student every other year, and still be a member of a 

chapter, and they do not -- they won’t have the resources at their 

facility possibly to do a registered program with the application 

process and so forth. But the Kentucky FAME program offers them 

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a very standardized program that the student comes out with an 

associate’s degree and then is mentored at their facility specific to 

their needs at that facility. 

So I think that’s the distinction there because of the flexibility, 

but we do have member companies, such as some of the ones in 

Louisville, Ford, and I believe there’s a couple of others who do 

have registered apprenticeship programs as well as being a member of the Kentucky FAME. 

Mrs. DAVIS. Thank you. 

Chairman GUTHRIE. Thank you. 

Thank you for yielding. 

And I now recognize Mr. Byrne 5 minutes for questions. 

Mr. BYRNE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

When I was the chancellor of the postsecondary system in Alabama, I was also the chair of the Workforce Planning Council. So 

I got to deal with a variety of training programs. And I was real 

proud of the FAME programs we had in the 2-year college system, 

but we frequently had a hard time getting enough students to participate in our construction trades, that really didn’t work in the 

sort of academic environment of a 2-year college, even a technical 

college. 

So apprenticeship programs seemed to work particularly well in 

the construction trades. That’s where we could attract people because they could work while they’re getting their training. That 

seemed to work pretty well. So I welcome the President’s executive 

order. I think it is great. But there’s that provision in section 4 

that says that the Secretary can exclude an industry if it already 

has an effective and substantially widespread program. Well, if you 

excluded the construction industry, I’m afraid we would exclude an 

industry that almost by its nature has to depend upon apprenticeship programs to get their students and to get the training. 

So, Mr. Bennett, I would like to ask you to respond to that, if 

you could. 

Mr. BENNETT. Yeah, we have reviewed that executive order, and, 

you know, our sentiments are I think it is very premature at this 

stage to exclude anything, given the demand that we face today: 

500,000 skilled worker shortage. The infrastructure bill that, 

should that pass, could go anywhere from another 4- to 600,000 

that they’re predicting by 2020. The apprenticeship model in its 

current state will not get us there, and I think what’s misunderstood sometimes is when we hear that term ‘‘apprenticeship,’’ it is 

not a siloed approach. 

The construction industry has been training and developing a 

workforce since its infancy, and it hasn’t just been through registered apprenticeship, and that understanding is -- I don’t think 

is very well understood in the country, and our company, we provide both. We have registered apprenticeship programs that meet 

State licensing requirements, but more so, we have industry-recognized development that is going on for our workforce, and it is significant to our success. 

And the distinction between those two is the industry-recognized 

programs are much more nimble. It allows us to adapt quickly to 

the needs of our clients, and we’re not interested in sacrificing 

rigor, relevance, or safety. We can’t afford to. This industry today 

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is too dynamic and too sophisticated for us to cut corners, so we’re 

not looking for less as we look to compress, right, that developmental efforts. And so when we’re looking at this executive order, 

I think it is very premature to exclude anything right now. I think 

we need to look at what is working, how do we enhance those models, and how can we expand upon what else is going on in the industry, because, my opinion, that by itself is not going to allow us 

to get to that 500- or a million number. 

Mr. BYRNE. Well, I’m really glad you brought up the infrastructure program. Because I was talking to the Secretary of Transportation the other day, talking about her sort of vision for that. I 

know the President’s vision for that. It’s ambitious. And I want it 

to be ambitious. I think it’s good for the country. 

But I told her, I said, I’m worried about finding the workforce to 

build all that infrastructure. We lost a lot of that workforce during 

the recession. I’m telling you what you already know. And you can’t 

just rebuild that workforce overnight. We’ve got to attract people 

into the programs and get them, you know, into the apprenticeship 

programs. 

So I hear what you’re saying is, look, not just for the health of 

our industry, but if we’re really going to be serious about a major 

infrastructure program for America, we have to think about all 

sorts of different ways of creating that workforce to build up to 

what it would take to do that. 

Ms. Hughes, I want to ask you a question. Registered and unregistered, to the average person out there, what’s the difference? So 

in plain, layman terms, so even somebody like me can understand 

it, what’s the difference, what’s the substantive difference between 

the two? 

Ms. HUGHES. I have been in HR since 1999, and I can tell you, 

I’ve reviewed many applications. And I would view them, if someone has a registered apprenticeship, a journeyman, or someone who 

has an associate’s degree in industrial maintenance, I would look 

at them the same. Because I think that having that education and 

then the job experience that goes along with it has to be important. 

So I don’t see that there’s much distinction. Obviously, I know 

legally a registered apprenticeship has to be registered with the 

Department of Labor. I understand that. 

But there are many people that are in hiring positions in industry, certainly in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, who don’t necessarily recognize -- not necessarily recognize, but don’t see a distinction. They’re looking at whether that person can do the job, 

whether they have the job experience. 

That associate’s degree would be helpful. But also, if someone 

doesn’t have that, if they’ve got 30 years’ experience in maintenance or welding, whatever it might be, we’re going to hire that 

person without a certificate or not. 

Mr. BYRNE. Thank you. 

My time is up. I yield back. 

Chairman GUTHRIE. I thank the gentleman for yielding back. 

And I now recognize Mr. Courtney for 5 minutes for questions. 

Mr. COURTNEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing, and to the witnesses for really interesting testimony. 

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Again, I particularly enjoy this topic because we’re talking about 

the Registered Apprenticeship Program, which is also known as the 

Fitzgerald Act. And Fitzgerald actually was the Congressman from 

the Second Congressional District of Connecticut back in 1937, 80 

years ago, when it was passed into law and signed into law by 

President Roosevelt. 

I actually asked the House Historian to pull up a picture of Congressman Fitzgerald. He’s the good looking Irish guy on the left 

over there and a really interesting Member. 

He actually was a foundry worker, Mr. Peglow, who worked his 

way up through a company, Richmond Radiator, in eastern Connecticut, became a superintendent of the company, worked for the 

State Department of Labor setting up apprenticeship programs in 

the 1930s, during the Depression, and then was elected to Congress 

in 1936. 

Passed this law in his first term in office, which is not bad, to 

have, again, an act named after you and have on the books for the 

last 80 years. Left Congress after serving only two terms and became the head of the War Production Board in Connecticut during 

World War II. Electric Boat built 74 submarines during World War 

II. And I know your shipyard in Virginia did the same. And it’s interesting because a registered apprenticeship program was folded 

into the War Production Board. 

So the notion that we can’t scale up the Registered Apprenticeship Program for a large undertaking -- which, again, whether it’s 

infrastructure or shipbuilding -- I mean, the fact of the matter is 

that, you know, Mr. Fitzgerald showed you can do it and you can 

do it with high-quality apprenticeship programs with real standards. 

Again, we built a 5,000-ship Navy in World War II, which is 

staggering when you really look at we have a 272-ship Navy today. 

So really it’s a question of just how do we look at this, with the 

benefit of hindsight to some degree. And I think a big part of it is 

just, again, make sure that we think big and we also recognize this 

is also about resources. 

Again, we have another slide which, again, lays out what we’re 

doing budget-wise in terms of apprenticeship programs. In the fiscal year 2017 budget, which was a bipartisan budget that we just 

passed, $95 million, the Apprenticeship Accelerated Grant Program, which, again, companies in my district and other parts of the 

country are taking advantage of, which provides, again, about 3500 

per employee to entice businesses to join the apprenticeship program. 

Unfortunately, as was mentioned by Mrs. Davis, it was zeroed 

out a couple weeks ago in the Labor-H appropriations bill, which 

is really kind of totally at odds with the executive order which was 

just issued. 

We also saw the WIOA grants, the Workforce Investment Opportunity Act grants, cut. Again, that was a bipartisan bill, the Workforce Investment Opportunity Act that was signed into law in 2014. 

Again, that’s going in the exact opposite direction of the topic 

that we’re talking about here today. The fact of the matter is we 

want to encourage and entice employers to participate in these proCEWDOCROOM with DISTILLER

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grams, and taking these resources away is just sort of going in the 

opposite direction. 

So, Mr. Hogan, again, up at EB what we’re seeing with the 

ramp-up of submarine construction is we’re getting a lot of small 

suppliers who are also having to ramp up, because that’s going to 

be a big part of the model in terms of getting there. And is it your 

experience that some of these suppliers in Virginia are also really 

looking to apprenticeship programs to meet the demand? 

Mr. HOGAN. Yes, sir. I have seen that both with my work with 

the VMA and as a previous position I held at Newport News supply 

chain management head. We see the same thing across the industrial base. 

And we’re dealing with manufacturers who aren’t just solely 

shipbuilding, maritime-related suppliers. They supply on the commercial market, the construction industry, a wide variety of areas 

that they supply to, and across the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

And I’ve seen it, because we have suppliers, basically, in 50 

States across the Nation, very similar situations. And many of 

them at all scales of size of the companies are looking for programs 

that currently exist that they can participate in. If not, what does 

it take to do it in their company? 

And, oftentimes they don’t have the same benefits that I do in 

a large company and the training and infrastructure we have in 

place to do those. So many companies are struggling today to find 

a model and funding associated with it. 

Mr. COURTNEY. Thank you. 

So, Mr. Chairman, I just want to enter a letter from Collins and 

Jewell Company in eastern Connecticut, who is one of those suppliers. I’m just going to read two sentences real quick. 

‘‘We, at first, were very reluctant to get enrolled into the apprenticeship program as we were under the misconception that apprenticeships was a very difficult process for small employers. We as 

small employers typically connect apprenticeships to unions or very 

large employers. We were surprisingly relieved that the process 

was not nearly as daunting as imagined.’’ 

And I think that’s something that will continue to reverberate 

out there if we get those incentives in place. 

With that, I would ask that it be entered for the record. 

Chairman GUTHRIE. Thank you. Without objection, so ordered. 

[The information follows:] 

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52 

CEWDOCROOM with DISTILLER


Insert offset folio 25 here 26299.025

Congressman Joe Courtney 

Representing Connecticut's 2"d district 

2348 Rayburn HOB 

Washington, DC 20515 

Phone: (202) 225-2076 

Congressman Courtney, 

5 Rrachel Ddve 

Bounh, CT 06334 

Ph. 860-887-8813 

Fax 860-886-5359 

\vww.collins-jeweU.com 

7/25/2017 

I wanted to reach out to you and express my deep concern regarding the elimination of the apprenticeship 

line item from the upcoming budget cycle. As the owner of a small manufacturing business of75 

employees in Eastern CT and given this is a program we just started to get involved with, the elimination 

of it will considerably impede one of our main solutions for the skills gap problem in our industry. 

We at first were very reluctant to get enrolled into the apprenticeship program as we were under the 

misconception that apprenticeship was a very difficult process for small employers. We as small 

employers typically connect apprenticeship to Unions or very large employers. Once approached about 

the program we were surprisingly relieved that the process was not nearly as daunting as imagined. We 

could utilize our current job descriptions to create a training program that included on the job with 

classroom training and thus within a few months, we had an approved apprenticeship program and had 

tivc employees enrolled. Understand that this tive of our total 55 employees active in the trades 

represents just under I 0% of our workforce which is a substantial start. 

The training money we receive through this program allows us to take a chance on an employee that we 

feel is ready to make the next step in their career path to a skilled tradesperson. Without these funds, we 

will be more reluctant to take a chance on those employees which will not only impede their professional 

growth, but also the growth of our company. I ask you to do whatever in your power to reinstate this 

program to full funding levels as we are just now getting traction with other small manufacturers to take 

advantage of this skills gap solution. 

As a country, we want to focus on manufacturing our own goods by having things "N1adc in American; 

elimination of the apprenticeship program, in my opinion, flies in the face of that goal. We need to 

garner excitement in today's youth that manufacturing opportunities arc careers and not just jobs. 

Having an apprenticeship program clearly reinforces this goal. Please feel free to contact me at any time 

with any questions or concerns you may have regarding this. I thank you in advance for your 

consideration of this very important issue to the manufacturing world. 

Best Regards, 

L?z_~ Christopher Jewell 

Collins & .Jewell Company 

860-887-8813 
53 

Mr. COURTNEY. Thank you. I yield back. 

Chairman GUTHRIE. Thank the gentleman for yielding back. 

I now recognize Ms. Stefanik 5 minutes for the purpose of asking 

questions. 

Ms. STEFANIK. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. Peglow, thank you for your excellent testimony today. You 

talked about your experience in school, and you graduated in 2014. 

Is that correct? 

Mr. PEGLOW. Yes, ma’am. 

Ms. STEFANIK. I’m curious whether you felt you had adequate opportunities when you were in high school, before you moved on to 

college, to have vocational education and internship opportunities. 

Mr. PEGLOW. Yes, I did. We had a welding program at our school. 

Welding and masonry were the two major parts of it. 

Then, in high school, I wasn’t really focused on what I wanted 

to do afterwards, and I didn’t have an interest in manufacturing 

or the welding programs. In high school, I was actually headed 

down the path of culinary chef and totally changed when I got out 

of high school. 

But speaking of Franklin Simpson High School, we had ample 

opportunities to do different career paths. And I know Logan High 

School and a couple other county high schools have more advanced 

programs. But most all the schools in the area have very well programs. 

Ms. STEFANIK. So do you think, in retrospect, connecting those 

programs to workforce opportunities after graduation would have 

helped you sort of develop the path and see a bit into the future? 

Mr. PEGLOW. Yeah. I believe they would have helped a little bit. 

Ms. STEFANIK. The reason why I ask that question is we have 

some great high school workforce development programs in my district through BOCES, and they partner with local employers so 

that there’s a direct pipeline from students at the high school level 

who are learning these technical skills and immediately will have 

employment opportunities so they can see what they’re learning in 

the classroom, in a hands-on way, how that actually translates to 

jobs. So I just wanted to get your experience. But thank you for 

your testimony. 

Mr. Bennett, I wanted to ask you a few questions. In your testimony you noted that the construction industry makes up the largest segment of registered apprenticeships. Industry-wide, could you 

share what percentage of construction industry apprenticeships are 

registered versus not registered? 

Mr. BENNETT. I would have to follow up with you on what that 

exact number is. I don’t want to misquote statistics for you this 

morning. 

Ms. STEFANIK. Okay. I look forward to that follow-up. But there 

definitely is a mixture between registered and unregistered. Is that 

correct? 

Mr. BENNETT. Yes. 

Ms. STEFANIK. Could you describe some different types of the industry-recognized programs? 

Mr. BENNETT. Sure. I can give you an example of welding personally from our own company. We produced the largest oil refinery 

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54 

expansion in this country in 40 years. And when we went into that 

project, we needed 250 pipe welders. 

And what you need to understand in the construction world is 

jobs take a long time to develop. They don’t just happen. It takes 

time to evolve. And so you don’t just have a bench full of people 

waiting to go to work. You have people that are working and those 

resources are being deployed in other areas. 

So when this job came up, 250 welders needed, we needed to look 

at how we were going to staff that project. We had internal resources, but we also knew we were going to have to recruit and develop these individuals. 

And we worked with external professionals to understand, how 

could we go about this? And we were told the traditional model of 

pipe welding is you become a structural welder, you need to apply 

those skills, you come back in, and you begin to learn pipe. And 

we didn’t have that kind of time on our hands. 

And we developed 250 pipe welders in 12 weeks, in a competency-based program that is industry recognized, both certifications, the weld certifications that they possess. And we successfully built that job, on time, under budget, against two other contractors in the country, and we outperformed both of those contractors. 

And of our welding metrics as we watched the cyclicalness of jobs 

can come and go in terms of your workforce needs, and one of the 

first downturns on the project, which is driven by many things, material, engineering, the first thought would be, well, you’re going to 

let your new folks go first and keep your veterans. Of the top 15 

welders on that project, 14 of them were graduates out of that program who had never welded before. 

So the model can work. And when we look at the distinctions, it’s 

not that registered apprenticeship doesn’t work and that it’s overly 

burdened. It’s there. It’s been very effective for many, many years. 

But there’s also this model of industry-recognized programs that 

also works. And it’s highly effective. And, again, it contains rigor 

and relevance and safety. And that’s what’s important for me to get 

across today, is both models can work and the country needs both 

models. 

Ms. STEFANIK. Thank you. I think that’s an incredibly important 

point. And that anecdote highlighted the effectiveness and the efficiency of the program that is recognized at the industry level. 

My time has expired, but thank you to the panel. It was excellent 

testimony across the board today. 

Chairman GUTHRIE. Thank you for yielding back. 

I now recognize Ms. Adams for 5 minutes for questions. 

Ms. ADAMS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, 

thank you for holding this meeting. 

And to all of you, thank you for your testimony. It has been very 

inspiring. And as a former educator, certainly it’s something that 

I have a personal interest in. 

Everyone knows that the benefits of apprenticeships are really 

good. They provide our workforce with the skills that they need to 

undertake the jobs of the future. They put our workers in a position to enter the middle class with stable, good-paying jobs. And 

they bring the potential for advancement, and they can provide an 

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55 

alternative path to obtaining a 4-year college degree for young 

adults who can’t take on the burden of student debt, which is really 

a serious problem. 

Mr. Bennett, let me ask you first, you challenged the Registered 

Apprenticeship Program as being too rigid, too focused on a time 

component. It’s my understanding that under current rules registered apprenticeships can be time based, competency based, or a 

mixture of both. 

In the college context, we’ve seen what happens when we give 

Federal resources to low-quality schools that provide no value to 

students. So are you concerned that opening up Federal resources 

to entities with much lower quality and safety priorities than 

Cianbro may lead to supporting apprenticeship programs that don’t 

help participants or harm the reputation of apprenticeship programs? 

Mr. BENNETT. That’s a great question. The answer to that, no. 

From our organization and association, we have absolutely no interest -- and you’ve heard me say this morning -- in less rigor, less 

relevance, or less safety focus. We cannot afford to. 

Our clients today demand that you’re able to put their work in 

place safely. In fact, they set standards on if your recordable incident rate isn’t at a certainly level, you’re not even allowed to bid 

on those projects. 

And so not only morally is it just our responsibility to ensure a 

safe workplace for our team members, and their loved ones certainly deserve to know that when that loved one leaves home and 

goes to work that they’re going to work someplace that is safe. 

That is our moral obligation. So when we look at compressing the 

development efforts of our workforce, absolutely, we do not want or 

expect that rigor, relevance, or focus on safety should be watered 

down in any manner or fashion. 

Ms. ADAMS. So when you say an all-of-the-above approach, what 

do you mean? 

Mr. BENNETT. Well, an all-of-the-above approach, what we mean 

by that is let’s not just focus on developing or attacking the skill 

shortage in this country with simply registered apprenticeship programs. There are multiple pathways just like we have in our educational system for students. You can go the traditional high school 

model. You can enter career and technical education. There should 

be multiple pathways, just like we have for our students, for folks 

that want to develop these professional trade skills. 

Ms. ADAMS. All right. Thank you very much. Let me move on. 

In the 12th District of North Carolina, Siemens has seen remarkable success with their apprenticeship model, partnering with Central Piedmont Community College to sponsor high tech and European-style apprenticeships, manufacturing gas and steam turbines 

for power plants. 

Mr. Hogan, I was interested to read about your experiences with 

the apprentice school. You have a fine record of preparing students 

for the jobs for tomorrow. And you mentioned the schools’ partnership with local community colleges. Could you elaborate on how 

Newport News Shipbuilding engages students in these institutions 

as well as K-12 students who are looking at community colleges as 

an option? 

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56 

Mr. HOGAN. Yes, ma’am. We actually have two models from a 

workforce development perspective. One is through the apprentice 

program. And the majority of our scholastic portion, academic portion of the program, is taught by onsite instructors employed by the 

apprentice school. 

I think somebody asked me one time, what about dual enrollment classes? If somebody took a high school class, dual enrollment 

with a local community college, we would take a look at that relative to their transcripts and requirements in the apprentice 

school, and we may waive the requirement for them to take one of 

those classes if it was dual enrollment. 

Most of our association with the community colleges is through 

our normal workforce development for the remainder of our employees in the company, which is the larger population. And we use 

a variety of things: tuition reimbursement, where a person can go 

to school on their own time and the company is willing to pay for 

them to get something that is applicable to their work in the shipyard. 

As well, we have established specific programs with community 

colleges to focus on workforce development for Newport News. In 

fact, years ago I participated in a program myself and received a 

1-year industrial management certificate from the local community 

college in my very early stages of my career. 

Today we utilize them in what’s called an hourly leadership development program. So our union-eligible represented workforce 

can go use a community college with the classes paid for by the 

company to equip them for those both academic and leadership 

classes. 

Ms. ADAMS. Wonderful. Thank you very much. 

I’m out of time. Mr. Chair, I yield back. 

Chairman GUTHRIE. Thank you for yielding. I thank the 

gentlelady for yielding. 

And I now recognize Mr. Smucker for 5 minutes for questions. 

Mr. SMUCKER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

I very much am pleased that the chairman has chosen to conduct 

the hearing on this particular topic, I’m pleased that it’s a priority 

of this committee, because I think there’s so much potential for us. 

And, Mr. Peglow, thank you for being here. It’s a wonderful 

story, shared by so many, myself as well. So I would be what you 

consider a nontraditional student. I did construction at night, hanging drywall to earn my way through high school, actually, and then 

after that operated a business and went to college at night. 

So the idea of earn while you learn is something that I experienced. And the construction company I owned, we had about 150 

employees. And so I have a very special affinity for those who 

choose construction as their career. And I’m also fully aware of the 

many wonderful opportunities there are in the construction trades. 

But our problem always was, always, the number one thing that 

hindered our growth was finding qualified people to fill the spots 

that we had available for those great family-sustaining jobs. 

And so I just think apprenticeship is a model that begins to solve 

not only the issues of finding people for jobs, but provides so many 

great opportunities for people all across the country and gets to 

other problems that we talk about as well, like college debt and 

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57 

many other things. And so we’d never discourage a 4-year degree 

for anyone, but we just want people to understand there are so 

many other opportunities available. We want to work for those. 

You know, I hear the discussion and specifically some of the comments made by the ranking member that I agree with so much, 

that we all want a program that is prestigious, a program that 

means something, when you come through that program, you have 

some certificate, you have some certification at the end that you 

can hang on to and know that you’ve achieved something. 

And that’s important not only for the student, but it’s important 

for parents. And I think the ranking member mentioned that it 

needs to be a program of value. So we must have high-quality programs. 

And it’s interesting to me, I hear all the discussion about registration. There’s a lot of discussion about that. To me, that feels 

-- we agree on so much of this, there really isn’t much contrast. 

That registration, to me, is like talking about building a building 

and you’re arguing about the color of the doorknobs. I mean, literally. 

What we want is programs that are quality. We want a certification at the end of that product. And, unfortunately, what happens with registration is some people who currently have registered programs have put a lock on that doorknob and have kept 

other companies, they’ve used it as a barrier to entry to training 

employees. 

That’s the problem we have with registration. If we can come up 

with a system that you can readily get approval for, I don’t think 

anybody would argue with registration. 

So I think there are a lot of ways it could be done as well. We 

just want to ensure that there’s a strong system in place. Whether 

it’s done the way we currently do it or whether it’s done through 

industry certification, you have to have a strong system of recognizing and holding accountable to ensure that we have quality programs. 

One of the models -- and maybe, Ms. Hughes, I’m really fascinated by what you’ve done by Kentucky FAME, and I appreciate 

the chairman sharing this model with us. It seems outstanding. 

But could we look to other areas of higher education as some 

model? You have a lot of different institutions. They’re accredited 

in different ways. Is there anything we can learn from that in how 

we register our programs? 

Ms. HUGHES. Yes, I think we can. I think that looking to what 

the community colleges are presently teaching and so they understand what the industry needs and are those classes up to date. I 

think it’s a partnership between those two groups, whether that’s 

a banking business, whether that’s culinary, because our local 

schools teach that, making sure that they are up to date and teaching those things. 

The one thing that’s wonderful about Kentucky FAME is that it 

adds that personal behavior, soft skills piece to that, as well as the 

safety, the manufacturing core classes, such as workforce organization, that type of thing. So I think that’s important. 

Looking at other colleges and universities, as well, for co-op programs and internship -- 

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58 

Mr. SMUCKER. I’m going to jump in. And I’m sorry, I talked too 

much. I have a lot of additional questions. But one thing I really 

like about what you’re describing at Kentucky FAME is how businesses are engaged. 

Ms. HUGHES. Very engaged. 

Mr. SMUCKER. And it’s an aspect of the apprenticeship program 

that I think holds so much promise. It’s a way for businesses to 

really engage in not only hiring employees, but in the development 

of those employees. And it’s a model for them to do that. 

So I wish I had more time. But I look forward to speaking with 

all of you to learn more about your programs. 

Chairman GUTHRIE. I thank the gentleman for yielding. 

And I now recognize Mr. Krishnamoorthi for 5 minutes. 

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I really 

applaud you calling this hearing today with the ranking member. 

It’s definitely a topic that both sides of the aisle are very interested 

in, and I think we can really work together to strengthen your ability to offer apprenticeships. 

And thank you, Mr. Peglow, for coming in and talking about the 

real world impact of apprenticeships, because I think more people 

need to hear from people like you, quite frankly. 

My first question is, recently the House passed a bipartisan reauthorization of the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. It 

was not only bipartisan, it was unanimous through the House of 

Representatives. I was proud to be the co-lead for that legislation, 

along with my colleague, Republican Congressman Thompson from 

Pennsylvania. And one of the improvements that bill made was to 

align CTE programs with workforce needs and support work-based 

learning opportunities which may, of course, include apprenticeships. 

So my first question is to Mr. Hogan. You know, as a member 

of the business community, sir, what do you find to be among the 

most meaningful ways to engage with the community’s local CTE 

programs? In other words, do you actively work with the local community colleges in trying to fashion their curriculum to suit your 

needs? And how can the Federal Government help in those efforts? 

Mr. HOGAN. Certainly. What I would say is in addition our world 

class apprentice program that I talked about, the rest of our training for the remainder of the workforce is handled through a special 

department or division that takes care of all the trades-related 

training. 

That group, as well, is connected with what we call our Career 

Pathways Program, which then is linked to both our community 

colleges and our local high schools, all the way K-12, is how we’re 

linked up there. Because what we recognize is, is that is a feeder 

to the workforce of the future. Not everyone will get into the apprentice program, but that doesn’t discount them as potential highly skilled first-class shipbuilders for Newport News. 

So our linkage to CTE is through a special program that we have 

called Career Pathways. 

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Thank you. I appreciate that. 

I wanted to highlight one program in my own State which is basically based at a company called Aon, one of the world’s largest 

insurance companies. And basically what they did is they created 

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59 

an apprenticeship program in insurance and risk management, one 

in information technology, and one in human resources. 

And these apprentices get paid competitive salaries. They’re offered full employee benefits. They get on-the-job training. And they 

get paid tuition at partner schools to get an associate’s degree as 

well. 

In addition, they get a labor-certified insurance apprenticeship, 

both of which are transferable outside of Aon. 

And so one question I wanted to ask Mr. Bennett, with regard 

to these registered apprenticeships I think that part of the argument for having them is that they ensure a certain level of quality 

across the board. And so we can ensure that our children and students and others who are perhaps in career transition, who engage 

in these apprenticeships, are able to get something that really can 

transfer around the country, because everybody can trust in it. 

So I’d like to ask you, like, what do you see as potential benefits 

of having a registered apprenticeship, setting aside for a moment 

your concerns about the actual registration process? But do you 

agree that having a registered apprenticeship is a good thing nationally? 

Mr. BENNETT. I mean as a company, as I stated, we provide both. 

There’s value to both. But there’s a reason why we offer both. 

And so the registered program, the way they’re structured with 

classroom time and on-the-job learning, is very valuable. And our 

nonregistered programs are set up very similarly, but they also 

lead to having credentialing, because, as I said, we’re not interested in having something with less rigor, relevance, or safety 

focus. 

So there is a credentialing process. In fact, it’s as strict, if not 

more strict than an apprenticeship model, where there’s a knowledge verification, a written test of understanding the technical 

knowledge. But there’s also a performance verification where you 

have to demonstrate that competency before you’re issued that certification. 

So it provides that same level of comfort for our students that, 

as they’re progressing, we know that they’ve not only mastered or 

understand the technical aspect of it, but they also know how to 

apply the learning. 

And so there’s value for us in both of those. So I don’t want to 

be misunderstood this morning that I’m pitting one against the 

other. That is not my position or the association’s position. But it 

is simply there is more than one way to get to the end. 

And it’s that recognition of these nonregistered programs that we 

have to do a better job at educating our lawmakers on and the industry on, because it’s very valuable and it’s been very successful. 

And we work with the technical high schools, a significant number of them, not only to help purchase curriculum books, but we 

sit on their advisory councils, we help develop the curriculum, we 

provide internships, paid internships, to put our money where our 

mouth is. 

It’s important. That is our future. And, again, we can’t afford less 

rigor, less relevance, or any less focus on safety. 

Mr. SMUCKER. [Presiding.] Thank you. 

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Thank you. 

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60 

Mr. SMUCKER. Thank you. 

I would now like to recognize Mr. Grothman for 5 minutes of 

questioning. 

Mr. GROTHMAN. Thanks much. 

We’ll start with Mr. Bennett, and we’ll finish with Mr. Bennett 

too. 

I want to talk a little bit about the apprenticeship program and 

the percentages, apprentice versus journeyman. There are restrictions in the number of apprentices you can hire per journeyman. 

Can you give me some examples of a job where it would be appropriate to hire more apprentices than right now for a journeyman? 

Mr. BENNETT. Sure. So maybe to kind of help set the stage. 

Mr. GROTHMAN. Maybe explain the rule a little bit. 

Mr. BENNETT. A ratio may be you can have one apprentice or 

helper to one journey-level tradesperson. There are situations with 

many trades where that might be understated in terms of the conditions of the work, the hazards associated with the work. There 

are opportunities where a journey-level individual could oversee, 

very safely, more than one individual. 

In the same token, I can give you examples of where it is absolutely the correct thing to do to have a one-to-one ratio given the 

hazards associated with the work that needs to be performed. But 

there are many cases where you could have more. 

So what that does to us, the restriction that puts on us, is we 

can only develop so many based on how many journey-level 

craftspeople we employ. 

Mr. GROTHMAN. You think sometimes you should be able to hire 

three apprentices for every two journeymen? 

Mr. BENNETT. I think there are situations where you absolutely 

could do that, yes. 

Mr. GROTHMAN. Okay. Are there enough people out there that if 

you could hire more, you would? I mean, I guess I can think in my 

own mind there are two reasons why we don’t have enough people 

in trade. You can say just not enough people are going in. But you 

could also say, from what you’re telling me, that if you could, on 

individual jobs, hire another couple apprentices, maybe you could 

get people through the program quicker. 

Could you comment, do you believe we could get more people 

through the program if you could sometimes hire more apprentices? 

Mr. BENNETT. I believe you could. And that’s one of the distinctions between what are the restrictions in a registered apprenticeship program? That would be one of them. Compared to or contrast 

that with a nonregistered program, we don’t have to have that 

ratio. 

Mr. GROTHMAN. Okay. In your testimony, you referred to unnecessary requirements of registered apprenticeship programs that 

sometimes waste taxpayer money. Could you give me examples of 

that and what you think we could do to improve things a little? 

Mr. BENNETT. Well, I can, without opening up a can of worms. 

We’re a Federal contractor, and we perform work under the 

Davis-Bacon Act. And on those projects, just hypothetical, if it was 

a $30 million project, and let’s say the contract required that for 

every million dollars’ worth of work you had to have an apprentice. 

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61 

Typically, an apprentice, let’s just hypothetically say, is making 50 

percent of that journey-level wage. 

If you don’t have a registered apprenticeship program, that work 

still needs to be performed. You would end up putting journey-level 

professionals in those apprenticeship spots and you will pay the 

journey-level wage on those projects. 

Where that ends up becoming expensive to the client, the State, 

the Federal Government, is you’re paying wages for journey-level 

folks in an apprentice-level program that’s unnecessary, and you’re 

not developing the future workforce. 

And sometimes we hear that the registration process can be fairly simple. In the same terms that there are jobs that take a long 

time to develop, there are also projects where we’re reacting today 

and sending people to another State in this country to go to work, 

and we may not be registered in that State. In fact, we may have 

never worked in that State before. In the time that it takes to get 

something registered, that’s where some of the hurdles come in for 

us as a national contractor. 

Mr. GROTHMAN. Okay. I’ll give you one more question here. 

You talked about -- I’m sorry, Cianbro? Is that how -- 

Mr. BENNETT. Cianbro. 

Mr. GROTHMAN. Cianbro. Okay. And the things you do to ensure 

worker safety, and they’re all excellent qualities to have in a business, and it’s fair to say we need more companies like yours. 

That being said, you were also particularly critical of the rigidity 

of the Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship Programs 

and the fact they frequently do not meet the needs of industry. 

Could you elaborate on that a little more? 

Mr. BENNETT. Yeah. Some of the rigidity that’s within those programs in terms of the time, what consists of a registered program. 

So in our world, as an open shop contractor, as we develop a 

skilled craft professional, that individual -- I’ll just use carpenter 

as an example -- when someone goes through our program, that 

carpenter is also going to be provided with equipment operation 

skills, either to move material from point A to point B. They’re 

going to be taught equipment operation skills that might allow 

them to access a work area like aerial lifts. They could also be 

taught rigging skills, because that material that they need to move 

needs to be rigged in such a way that it’s done safely and can be 

moved safely. 

In our world, that is what a skilled program would look like and 

consist of. It’s not a one-dimensional, that carpenter needs finished 

work, framing, but they’re going to be a form carpenter on a bridge. 

So there are restrictions within there where there are things that 

we have to teach, which costs money, it takes time and energy, 

that will never be applied on a project. 

Mr. GROTHMAN. Okay. Thank you very much. 

Mr. SMUCKER. Thank you. The chair would just ask the witnesses to watch the clock. Intend to finish a question, but be aware 

of the time limitations. 

Mr. GROTHMAN. It was the Congressman’s fault. I tricked him. 

Mr. SMUCKER. All right. Now I would like to recognize Mr. Polis 

for 5 minutes of questions. 

Mr. POLIS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

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You know, apprenticeships like we’ve discussed today are a critical tool in connecting Americans with good-paying jobs and lifelong 

careers to support themselves and their families. And the topic of 

apprenticeship is a very relevant one. 

It’s also not a new one. For years, of course, unions in Colorado 

and many other States have been leading the way to connect people with apprenticeship programs to provide quality education and 

on-the-job training. 

Trevor Keller is one example. Joining the IBEW apprenticeship 

program gave Trevor the opportunity to get paid in the classroom 

while also receiving a comprehensive education and onsite training. 

They aren’t just given an instruction sheet and told to operate 

without first knowing the mechanics and science behind electrical 

work. 

On top of classroom education, apprentices also are paid a living 

wage while working on the lines. Trevor is confident after finishing 

the IBEW apprenticeship that he has the skills and dollars to continue to his career as a journeyman. 

Mr. Hogan, thanks for joining us. I think a key part of Trevor’s 

story is that quality apprenticeship programs aren’t just on-the-job 

training programs, they’re also education programs. Can you share 

more about Newport News Shipbuilding’s education program and 

how you combine traditional learning with skills training? 

Mr. HOGAN. Certainly. At Newport News, as I said, it’s a mix of 

the craftsmanship, the scholarship, and the leadership. 

On the academic portion of it, students, when they start the apprentice program, very similar to what Mr. Peglow demonstrated, 

is they may go to classes 2 or 3 days a week, and the remainder 

of that week would be on-the-job training. 

They take classes everywhere from the mathematics, algebra, 

trigonometry, geometry, calculus. Then we get into more shipbuilding-related things like marine design, naval architecture, marine engineering. We do physics. We run the gamut of very high 

requirements in STEM-type classes. 

And that is part of the preparation not only for them to become 

a better skilled worker in our company, but then that also does 

marry up with the leadership component of it. So that they are not 

only just leaders in the company, but they are leaders within their 

trade discipline. 

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Bennett, thanks for joining us as well. You mentioned in your testimony your company is 100 percent employee 

owned. And I’m excited your company has employees and employee 

ownership that can benefit from the value being created. 

I recently introduced a bill, the WORK Act, that encourages employee ownership as a business structure. Can you share more 

about your company’s decision to be a 100 percent employee-owned 

company and how that is consistent with your values and your apprenticeship program? 

Mr. BENNETT. Sure. I mean, it goes back many, many years now. 

But our philosophy is treating people with dignity and respect. 

And the founders of the organization made a very conscious decision that the people that helped build the organization and make 

it successful should reap the benefits of that. And so many years 

ago we converted to a 100 percent employee-owned organization. 

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63 

And where that adds value is our team members believe they 

have skin in the game in every single decision that they make. We 

choose to work safe, we choose to look out for one another, give 

back to our communities. 

And so that whole culture that we’ve established goes all the way 

back to our founders and our values. 

Mr. POLIS. Thank you. 

And, Mr. Hogan, you also mentioned that some programs at the 

apprenticeship school can lead to an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. One benefit of apprenticeship programs is that you can earn 

a credential at the same time you earn a living wage. 

Can you talk more about how your program supports students’ 

financial needs while they’re in school? Does it allow you to serve 

a more diverse class of students, including people who may be older 

or have a family, who have a kid at home, those kinds of things? 

Mr. HOGAN. Thank you for coming back to me as well, because 

I did want to further clarify that those classes that they take in 

their normal academics, now the schools is accredited such that 

they are transferable towards a 2-year degree at the community 

college level. 

They are then able to take that, if it’s their choosing, and go to 

a 4-year institution. And they can often do that on their own time, 

while they’re still working for the company, or we even grant educational leaves of absence for them to go do that. 

We do actually have apprentice programs set up on the advanced 

curriculum side where we have partnered with Old Dominion University and a person can extend their apprenticeship to where 

when they graduate they would actually have a 4-year degree from 

Old Dominion University in one of the engineering disciplines. 

As well, that education is entirely paid for. They graduate not 

only with a job, but that degree and zero student debt. 

Mr. POLIS. Thank you. And I yield back. 

Mr. SMUCKER. Thank you. 

The chair would now like to recognize Mr. Allen for 5 minutes 

of questioning. 

Mr. ALLEN. Thank you, Chairman. 

And I want to thank the panel for coming in and talking about 

this important area of job training. And we’ve got 6.5 million jobs, 

I understand, that are open in this country for skill, for a skilled 

workforce, and we’re having a hard time getting folks trained up 

for these positions. 

And, Mr. Bennett, I agree with your testimony that President 

Trump’s executive order is an important first step in aligning workforce development with the industry demands. I wholeheartedly 

support our President’s effort. He, like I, wants to get folks back 

to work in this country. That’s why I came here. 

It’s important that innovative methods the private sector is using 

to grow our skilled workforce are embraced and encouraged by the 

government. However, in Section 4 of the executive order, the Secretary of Labor has the ability to exclude an industry from this 

great new program if that industry has already effective, substantially widespread registered apprenticeship programs. 

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64 

Can you tell me -- and, of course, my industry was construction 

-- what it would mean if the construction industry was excluded 

from this apprenticeship system? 

Mr. BENNETT. Yeah. I think if we were excluded, we’re going to 

sell ourselves short as a country. And there’s no doubt that apprenticeship model has been successful. But given the volume that 

we’re facing in that skilled workforce shortage and what we’re anticipating given the infrastructure bill that could possibly pass, 

that model, in itself, is not going to get us there. 

And as I said earlier in my testimony, the construction industry 

alone has not been built on registered apprenticeship programs. 

There has been workforce development going on since the beginning of time, some of which has been registered, some of which has 

not. But it’s industry recognized. 

And there are many, many companies in this country -- in fact, 

in the construction industry 86 percent of it is done open shop. And 

many of those organizations are providing workforce development 

opportunities for their teams that’s outside of that registered apprenticeship model. 

So I think it’s very premature for us to eliminate anything at 

this stage of the game. We should understand, again, what is working, how do we replicate that. And not just within the registered 

model, because apprenticeship isn’t just registered. There’s apprenticeships that are nonregistered. 

And we’re alive and well here today and can demonstrate how 

successful those programs are and show you where individuals who 

were making sandwiches have doubled their salaries and are now 

skilled craft professionals in our organization and can show you 

multiple examples of that. And we’re just one little company based 

out of Maine. This is happening all across this country. 

And I’ll just leave you with this quick. My driver this morning 

was from Ethiopia, moved here in 1996. Today he has his own business with five employees, and he was sharing with me how fortunate he is to be in this country, because up until sixth grade, he 

did not have shoes. 

And his story was just empowering, and so it makes me think, 

as we’re sitting here today, what a wonderful opportunity this 

country has. We have more work than we have skilled people. 

We’re not wondering how to put bread on the table or put shoes 

on our feet. We have opportunities to help the American citizens 

do just that. And that’s our job, is to create those opportunities in 

multiple pathways so that we can provide what he’s come all the 

way from Ethiopia for, to provide for his family. It’s just a wonderful opportunity. 

Mr. ALLEN. It is. That’s why America is a light into a different 

world. 

Mr. Peglow, I’d like to know some of the things you learned from 

working alongside an experienced technician that you wouldn’t 

have learned if you only had classroom experience and no work 

component to your curriculum. 

Mr. PEGLOW. Some of the things that I’ve learned from other 

technicians are kind of what we call tricks of the trade, just different things that aren’t in the books that are very career specific 

or job specific. 

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65 

Different jobs always have different little tricks. They’re still safe 

tricks, but just quicker ways or things you learn from experience 

of doing different things. It just depends on what it is, anywhere 

from motors, to different tricks with welding, machining. They all 

have their own little tricks to them. 

Mr. ALLEN. So you’re benefitting from their experience? 

Mr. PEGLOW. Yes, sir, very much so. 

Mr. ALLEN. And you’ll be able to pass that on to the -- you’ll be 

a mentor someday. That’s great. 

As far as the -- and I’m just about out of time -- but what’s important is that we’ve got to get 20, 25 million people back to work 

in this country. I thank you for your efforts on behalf of that. And 

please let me know how I can work with you. 

And I yield back. 

Mr. SMUCKER. Thank you. 

I’d like to now recognize Mr. DeSaulnier for 5 minutes of questioning. 

Mr. DESAULNIER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and the Ranking 

Member. Thank you for this important hearing. 

I want to talk a little bit about the importance of, of course, everything we’re talking about, but ultimately in my experience, I 

represent a part of California, a part of the Bay area that has a 

heavy concentration of our industrial belt. 

I know people don’t believe that northern California, the Bay 

area, has industry, but we’ve got five refineries in the area that 

I’ve represented in local and State and now at the Federal level, 

and chemical plants, and they work well. But we have very high 

standards when it comes to apprenticeship standards. We require 

prevailing wage. It works because it is a high cost area. 

So in my experience one of the most difficult things -- and it’s 

not saying I’d be against industry certification -- is making sure 

we’re holding them. And the Federal Government’s role in this is 

not just incentivizing, but making sure -- and, granted, Mr. Peglow, 

every job has tricks to it, and that’s an art form that we should 

acknowledge -- but in the testing, making sure it’s objective and 

we’re getting the higher standards. 

Because the employers I talk to, the question isn’t that they have 

jobs, as others said, or that there’s not a workforce there, but 

they’re not trained well enough. In a global economy, we can’t fool 

people. We have to hire people to a high standard. 

So we should invest in these programs. We should look at programs that the employers are an equal partner in. Most of our programs are partnership with the employees. The employers have 

been in business for many, many years, doing specific projects in 

specific industries. 

So, Mr. Hogan, maybe you can help me just a little bit. How do 

we get those independent standards to make sure we verify, and 

what’s the Federal Government’s role to assuring that happens? In 

California we have a State apprenticeship board. Both Republican 

and Democratic governors have appointed members of that board. 

And they have very high standards, apprenticeship standards. 

And a lot of unaffiliated companies don’t like those standards. 

They’re freely able to compete with those standards. But we want 

to bring everybody up to a level to make sure that it’s truly open 

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competition, because in a global marketplace, if they’re not skilled, 

we’re not going to get them employed for very long. 

Mr. HOGAN. It’s a great question. And I’ve had that or something 

similar to it before. And it’s also been posed, what advice would 

you give another company that was trying to start an apprenticeship program and model it somewhat after what we’ve got? And 

there’s a couple components of that. 

One is we always start with having them contact their State or 

regional apprenticeship representative and get the standards on 

apprenticeship. And so that becomes a feeder to your registration 

process, is at least you’ve got some standards that you’re working 

to that is recognized at the State level. 

If time permits, for the organization to benchmark other apprenticeships, because you can always learn something from somebody 

that has one established. 

We participate in, and we encourage them to seek out the American Apprenticeship Roundtable who shares best practices of apprenticeships across the Nation. And then working with their local 

community college system or technical work centers to fill the gaps 

on the scholastic portion of it that they may not be able to provide. 

Mr. DESAULNIER. And in terms of Federal opportunities for 

grants and incentives, how important is it to make sure that they 

are truly objective and based on these standards that are best practices and are objective standards? 

Mr. HOGAN. And I think that’s part of the challenge that we 

have, is having those standards and having them linked to some 

type of funding stream, I think, is important without them becoming overly burdensome, cumbersome, or costly on the organization 

that’s trying to develop them. 

Again, only familiar with ours in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

As I’ve stated earlier, we have found that not to be that difficult. 

They don’t require revision unless we make major changes to it. 

It’s really about providing that organization the details that we 

have on what are the work processes we’re teaching, what are the 

academic components of that, what are the job rotations, and how 

do we assess the skills and abilities on a standard basis for all the 

employees involved in apprenticeship. 

Mr. DESAULNIER. Ms. Hughes, I struggle with -- I really believe, 

since I’ve come to Congress, that this is a country that’s very different. So the magic sauce of getting these standards at a Federal 

level, but allowing for different States to come up with different approaches. So what works in northern California may or may not 

work in Kentucky. 

However, we have people who travel from your State, I imagine, 

certainly from Texas and Louisiana, to work at our chemical and 

petroleum industries. So they have to abide by our standards when 

they come into California. 

So certainly we can have both. We have to have both. You have 

to have freedom to decide what’s best and what’s working in Kentucky, but you can learn from other jurisdictions just as California 

can learn from Kentucky. 

So I wonder if you could -- if you have instances of that or any 

kind of comment? 

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Ms. HUGHES. I think it’s very important that we do learn from 

each other, and that’s the wonderful thing about Kentucky FAME. 

As companies come together, they share best practices about safety, 

about recruiting, and those types of things. 

And I do agree with you that we do need both in this country. 

I think all of the people on this panel agree to that, that we’ve got 

to get a skilled workforce. And we do want standards. I agree with 

Mr. Bennett wholeheartedly that we do not want different standards, because all the companies definitely want highly skilled and 

highly trained individuals. 

Mr. DESAULNIER. Thank you. I yield back. 

Mr. SMUCKER. Thank you. 

I would now like to recognize Mr. Lewis for 5 minutes. 

Mr. LEWIS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have here a copy of our 

local paper, and the headline says: ‘‘Shortage of Skilled Workers 

Squeezing Twin Cities Builders.’’ In fact, there’s a quote in here 

from Robert Heise, president of the Minnesota-North Dakota Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, quote: ‘‘We have more 

work than we know what to do with.’’ 

So this workforce training issue is front and center not only in 

the Twin Cities, in my home State of Minnesota, but across this 

country, as your testimony has shown, and the questions, and the 

give and take here. 

So let me explore this a little bit, Mr. Bennett, and start with 

you. If, in fact -- or, as I understand, the DOL’s Office of Apprenticeship right now, after the regulations under the previous administration, there are 26 specific requirements relating to an apprenticeship program design. There’s an apprenticeship-specific equal 

employment opportunity regulation. There’s all sorts of hoops 

you’ve got to jump through. 

And, yet, an estimated 80 percent of all apprenticeships, or earnand-learn programs, aren’t registered. So what are those folks 

missing out on that they wouldn’t otherwise? I mean, what is the 

downside? Obviously, you’re out from under the regulations. But 

what are you missing out on, in your view, by not being registered 

or having these obstacles to a streamlined registration process? 

Mr. BENNETT. I don’t know that we’re missing out on anything. 

And it might be more we’re using the word registered versus recognized. And so those developmental programs that are taking place 

all across the country with those contractors that you referenced, 

I think what we’re looking for is we’re looking for recognition for 

all that hard work that’s being put in place to develop our current 

workforce and our future workforce. 

And it’s not that we’re looking for it to be regulated, because it’s 

been going on for years. And, like I said, it’s been very successful. 

But at least be recognized so as you’re coming into a new State and 

there are requirements that need to be met, having the ability to 

say, well, it doesn’t have to just be in this model, those same expectations could be met in a different career path or on multiple pathways. 

Mr. Lewis. Well, as I understand it, though, you are exempt if 

you’re registered or recognized from some Federal requirements 

that make it easier to conduct the program. You had mentioned 

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68 

ers as well, had developed these pipe welders for their 12-week program. 

That sort of flexibility, is that possible under a recognized or registered apprenticeship program, to do what that program did? 

Mr. BENNETT. Well, your typical -- if I just took a typical, you 

know, the outline of a registered apprenticeship program, that’s 

going to require -- I think the minimum is 144 hours, don’t quote 

me on this, and a minimum of 2,000 worker. I think those are the 

basics and it increases from there. 

That can be restrictive, I mean, with an open shop, our open 

shop philosophy and are merit based. We want to progress those 

that have the ability to demonstrate the competency at their own 

pace. If they master a particular skill and can progress, we want 

them to progress and not be held back by the rest of their classmates. 

No different than if somebody needs remedial training. We want 

the opportunity to provide the remedial training without being 

handcuffed by the restrictions of a particular program. 

Mr. LEWIS. One final quick question, and that is, under the 

President’s executive order it provides that any industry-recognized 

apprenticeship program should be considered for an expedited or 

streamlined registration where possible. Except, as we’ve talked 

about, it will carve out, or in any sector in which the Department 

of Labor has registered apprenticeship programs that are already 

effective or widespread, they might be exempt from this expedited 

process. 

I mean, obviously, that would impair your ability to design some 

of these programs, correct? 

Mr. BENNETT. Yes, it would. Yes. 

Mr. LEWIS. All right. Thank you. I yield back. 

Mr. SMUCKER. Thank you, Mr. Lewis. 

I’d like to now welcome Mr. Norcross to the subcommittee. And 

hearing no objection, I recognize Mr. Norcross to question the witnesses for 5 minutes. 

Mr. NORCROSS. Thank you, chairman. This is something near 

and dear to my heart. I went to the other 4-year school, an apprenticeship. I’m a graduate of a registered apprentice program in electricity. I’m a journeyman wireman by trade long before I came 

here. And I have heard quite a bit of information coming here. 

The good news is, for the vast majority of it, we’re all aligned. 

But in some cases, I think that there’s potential for misinformation 

that I have heard today. The building trades crafts have over 1,900 

training centers around this country. They spend $1.3 billion a 

year, not government money, private money, and if this was a university, a public university, it would be five times larger than Arizona State University, the third largest university in this system. 

If it was a K-12, it would be the largest school district. 

So, as you understand, we don’t have to recreate the wheel here. 

It works, and it works very well. But there are some issues that 

come to mind when we start talking about what is successful, what 

works, and what doesn’t. I hear the word ‘‘flexible.’’ There’s a difference between an apprenticeship program, which is to become a 

journeyperson and skilled in that craft, versus continuing education, being flexible to adapt to market conditions. I don’t think 

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anybody would suggest to you, in 12 weeks, you will make a wellrounded welder who will build his career without additional training, maybe in very specific crafts, but that doesn’t happen. 

Remarkably that, in the construction industry, where we just 

heard the claim that 80 percent of it is open shop, then why is it 

that the JATC, the union apprentices, provide 75 percent of the apprenticeship programs? It is backwards. If they’re doing that much 

work, then you would think they would do that. I might suggest 

to you there’s another reason, because as an apprentice, you can 

be paid less than the journeyman’s wages. 

So I ask to you, Mr. Bennett, what’s the graduation rate of the 

apprenticeship programs with your company? And in the -- your 

sector? 

Mr. BENNETT. In our sector, I would have to get back to you with 

the specifics for our sector, but I can give you a statistics -- 

Mr. NORCROSS. Let me share with you what it is in New Jersey. 

For non-JATC programs, less than 30 percent of their apprentices 

graduate; with the JATC programs, north of 85 percent. And this 

is where we see the difference. Involvement from employers and 

employees makes it a much healthier program understanding what 

they go through. Look at that cue. That’s massive change in a registered program. 

There were, let me see here, last year, 1,700 new apprenticeship 

programs. It doesn’t seem that it is that hard because there’s 

21,000 registered apprentice programs in this country, many from 

your company. And here it is. Five steps, quick-start toolkit to how 

to start an apprenticeship program. We’re not talking you need a 

Ph.D. in making an apprenticeship program. This is something 

that can be and has been done. Tax credits for those with apprenticeships. 

So hearing the statements that you come up with don’t jive with 

what’s going on in reality. The fact of the matter is there’s a shortage now because we came off the worst recession for the construction industry since the Depression. It takes time to build that back 

up. But, lo and behold, the apprenticeships over the course of the 

last 6 years up exponentially in this all from our registered apprenticeship program. 

So, when we read the executive order, it makes perfect sense. 

With all the items that are going on in this country, why are you 

trying to fix a program that works better and has been instituted 

for over 100 years? I think it should be the benchmark going forward, and certainly, Mr. Bennett, I would like to hear your opinion 

about those graduation rates and the differences. 

Mr. BENNETT. And if I could just respond to that. We’re not here 

to say that the registered apprenticeship program is broken. We’re 

here to share with you that there is another model that is taking 

place to the tune of we’re investing $1.1 billion as well. 

Mr. NORCROSS. In nonregistered programs? 

Mr. BENNETT. Nonregistered programs across this country. 

Mr. NORCROSS. Why wouldn’t you register them if they’re that 

easy? 

Mr. BENNETT. Excuse me? 

Mr. NORCROSS. Why wouldn’t you register your program since it 

is that easy? 

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Mr. BENNETT. The flexibility that is provided in these industryrecognized programs. 

Mr. NORCROSS. But you’re in construction, 15 basic crafts. The 

electrons flow the same way in Maine as they do in New Jersey. 

Mr. BENNETT. I completely agree, and that’s why we’re advocating there should be reciprocity because the electrons do flow the 

same, but there is not reciprocity amongst all the States with some 

of these programs. And I was reading a report and on the way 

down here this morning, the Aspen report, where it says that 50 

percent of all registered apprenticeship programs that start within 

1 year are eliminated. They don’t finish. So it is not that program 

is broke. We’re not here -- not arguing your point. What we want 

to convey is there is more than one way to develop skilled craft professionals in this country, and that’s what we’re trying to articulate. 

Mr. NORCROSS. So I heard -- and I see I’m out of time. We could 

spend a lot more time, but thank you for yielding the time. I appreciate it and the testimony that I heard. Thank you. 

Mr. SMUCKER. And, with that, I would like to again thank our 

witnesses for taking the time to testify before the subcommittee 

today, and I now recognize Ranking Member Davis for any closing 

remarks that she may be have. 

Mrs. DAVIS. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and on your 

first day in the chair, you have done a good job. Thanks so much. 

And to all of you really. You have provided excellent testimony. 

There have been some differences, and that’s great for us to hear, 

frankly, and to try and move forward and become better educated. 

We have some folks who actually have experienced this more than 

others. And I think what we need to do is to continue to ask the 

questions and figure out the extent to which there is a better case 

to integrate the programs in some way that is understandable to 

the public and also to provide even, you know, a national registry, 

if you will, so that we’re able to really understand where we are 

and, I hope, where we’re going to go, because that’s really what 

this is about, is trying to scale up programs that work for the 

American people and provide those great jobs and wages and make 

sure that young people know that they can aspire and think about 

at a pretty early age, hopefully, where they want to go with this. 

So we’re delighted. 

I also wanted to put into the record the National Electrical Contractors Association statement, and appreciate all of the attention 

today. Thank you very much. 

Mr. SMUCKER. Without objection. 

[The information follows:] 

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Insert offset folio 44 here 26299.044

Statement for the Record Ni\T!ONI\l HEClRtCAl CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION 

Submitted by the 

National Electrical Contractors Association 

to the 

Subcommittee on Education and Workforce 

Development 

Committee on Education and the Workforce 

U.S. House of Representatives 

for a hearing on 

"Expanding Options for Employers and Workers Through 

Earn-and-Learn Opportunities" 

July 25, 2017 

NECA is the voice of the $130 billion electrical construction industry that brings power, light, and 

communication technology to buildings and communities across the U.S. NECA's national office and 

119 local chapters advance the industry through advocacy, education, research and standards 

development 

NATIONAL ELECTICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCATION 

412 First Street, SE Suite 110 

Washington, D.C. 20003 

Phone: (301) 657-3110 

FAX (301) 215-4500 

@NECAGovtAffairs 
72 

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Insert offset folio 45 here 26299.045

Statement for the Record 

On behalf of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) 

Subcommittee on Education and Workforce Development 

Committee on Education and the Workforce 

July 25, 2017 

Over 70 years ago, the National Electrical Contractors Association and the International 

Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) embarked on a joint venture to develop the 

National Joint Apprenticeship Training Program (NJATC). Today, the newly 

rechristened "electrical training Alliance" invests nearly $300 million in private funds 

annually in what we believe is the largest and most successful apprenticeship and 

training program in the nation. Today, there are more than 300 jointly administered local 

programs that are trust financed and together we have trained over 350,000 apprentices 

to journeyman status. 

Our apprenticeship program is a well-organized and supervised method to train people 

with little or no prior knowledge of a craft or trade to become capable, qualified 

craftspersons or journeypersons. It is the original "earn while you learn program." The 

"on-the-job" portion of the training is a full-time, well-paid job. The goal is to provide the 

electrical construction industry with the highest level of training and highly skilled 

workforce possible. To accomplish this goal, apprentices receive the highest level of 

training in the industry, with a requirement of 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 900 

hours of classroom time over a five-year period. Upon completion of the curriculum and 

on-the-job training, apprentices receive certificates documenting their successful 

completion of the program. Incidentally, all electrical apprentices receive incremental 

raises as they reach certain set milestones. They are not a burden to the taxpayers 

because the training is fully funded by the industry without any taxpayer assistance. 

Perhaps the greatest benefit is that in the end they are earning while they are learning. 

Each year, participants in the program contribute in excess of $600 million dollars in 

federal, state, and local taxes. Lastly, they also receive retirement plans and medical 

coverage for themselves and their families that are also provided at no cost to the 

American taxpayer. 

We are quite proud of the opportunities our apprenticeship programs offer around the 

country. While there is measurable value in a traditional college education, we would be 

remiss if we did not discuss some possible alternative routes for students who might not 

think a standard four-year degree is the right path for them or do not wish to take on the 

burden of graduating with hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loan debt and no 

guarantee of a job or attaining valuable skills. 

The necessity of opportunities offered through apprenticeships is well documented as 

the competition for work grows greater and greater. Cultivating talent is becoming more 

and more critical to successful electrical contracting companies. With the increasing 

sophistication of the construction industry, electrical contracting needs a well-rounded 
73 

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workforce prepared to improve the delivery of electrical construction projects to enhance 

company profits. 

Today, as the millennia! generation graduates from high schools, vocational schools, 

and colleges, they are presented with many career opportunities. Our experience tells 

us there is high demand for people who are ready to work right out of high school and 

that there are opportunities for them to obtain the training they need to be set up with a 

career in the skilled construction trades. After a few years of dedicated training, they will 

end up with what every one of us would like to have to be a successful adult: a good 

paying job with health and retirement benefits. We strongly believe the best entitlement 

program out there should be a job. 

Addressing our nation's current and future employment needs is critically important and 

we believe the existing apprenticeship infrastructure provided by construction trades is a 

sure-fire bet for success, especially when compared to other earn-and-learn programs. 
74 

Mrs. DAVIS. I’m sorry, and the construction -- the other 4-year 

degree. 

Mr. SMUCKER. Without objection. 

[The information follows:] 

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76 

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"The apprenticeship infrastructure of North America's 

Building Trades Unions, which today encompasses over 

the United States and Canada, 

Amecica's i3cii<Mg Tr;1des Un•ons 
77 

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For OY<:r 100 ye.m, ~onh :\mcrk.1\ Budding Trade-; Cmom and it> sign.nory contr.Ktol"'i !uvc 

funded ,tnd opecued a ski!kd (T.lfi: apprenrice~hip ,;y~t,,m dut i~ the tll\)' of dw wor!d. 

t!ut will ~up port them and thetr fami!ie'>. 

An .tddiri01d imponant fC.trurc i> dur mmt apprenticeship progr:um luve been as'icssed for 

college credit, which parricipann can .1pply toward :m as>ociate's or bachelor's degree. 

'f(l bc .. urc, .•ppremicc>hip i<> the "other four-year degree." 

fOrcr,di- trainingoLH much a.'> $3 to every $1 that is 

invc~ted; accounted 

co!kgc degn·e grad narc. 

training in re,tl nmc, in order to better ilt the need-; of the 

indnstry at .my wvcn [l!llC. 

Similarly, rrai11ing and edm:ation currirula are dew loped in,, 

employer', immedtJ.te nenk 

burden of mtdent loam. 

No mhn >ector of the North Ameri...:an comrrucrion indmtry opcLlte' mch a comprehensive 

.lnd -;ucce,.,ful u.uning ,lppro,l<.'h; and no other indu>ny in :-.'orth Amerio has a comparable 

\ystcm !11 pbcc. 

CONSTRUCTION APPRENTICESHIP 
78 

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"C/1 Construction Industry Institute) established the 

Construction Industry Craft Training Research Team to examine 

constmction craft training. T!Je team concludes that each dollar 

to $3.00 in benefits. 

Percentage of US Construction 

Apprentices in Union vs Other 

Programs, 2014 
79 

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.md rm!ir~ry n'tewh 1h: Building Trade~ .HT buildmg such pathways of opponunity with the 

hdp of groups like the N.<tion,t! Urb.m 

rramition back 

Jlw.id!c da~-.. SmG: it'> inccptioll !ll 2003, the progr.un ha> helped pLtcc over 20,000 veteran<; in 

'ikil!ed cr,lft apprcnticc•hip programs. 

"Tiw; booklet i> :-·our mvitanon to learn more <1bout ont of America\ grcarcst educational 

Sean McGarvey 

Pn:,idenr ofrhe North America\ Building Trade~ Unions 

CONSTRUCTION APPRENTICESHIP 
80 

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THE BUILDING TRADES AND 

REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP 

All Building Trade<; apprenticeship programs arc registered with either the U.S. 

Department of Labor's Offic<: of Apprenticeship or a State Apprenticeship Agency. 

111csc n:gisrcn:d apprenticeship programs provide the participants with a high 

quality, portable, industry sanctioned, nationally recognized credential that 

certifies occupational proficiency in the construction industry. 

OVERALL TRAINING 

Overview 

• JAn: .lpprtlltlCc'>hip traimn;swmbin<:\ i11du'tr~ 'iumhrd tcduucal (,b~1room) 

in-.uun1on wich ~tru..:wrctl on-tlH>job !c.trllJng 

Training Capacity 

• Ovcr~!L tht 1 S Building '!f.1dc8 unions m.1int,\in 1,900 training co:nren rhroughonr 

1\:onhr\mcrica''>'mm-• 

• For ,m inu.:r.Krivc nup of rhc Bui!dJJlg-lf.h.k~ rr.linmg center;, \CI: W\1'\l'.hrtd.org 

• Nearly rwo-rhinh oL\!l n:gistned appn:micc> in the L1

S ;~n: trained in rhe wn>truction 

mdu,rry 

Training Investment 

"The construction skills 

model is one which can 

be replicated in cities 

across our nation. By 

bringing business, labor 

and government together 

as strategic partners, it 

represents what I believe 

is the best model not just 

for the construction 

industry, but for every 

sector of the economy." 

Lou Colletti: President and 

CEO. Bui!dtng Trades Employer 

Assoc1ation of New York, 

January 2015 

• The Bui!ding 1f.ldes and their '>ignatory wntr.\nor> ,lflJm::tlly invnt S 10 bdhon in .1pprentin: w:1gcs and 

benefit<; .'Sm,e . .\"m1h Amcricr<'' Bc«lrimx ];,,&_, C'mnl, R,,,,,mhDip.mmotl) 
81 

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Industry Growth and the Desire for Increased Diversity 
82 

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a veteran, this class gives me another opportunity to help 

support my family and start another career in my life. It also 

gives these young adults a huge step in life and strong 

grasp at a great career. They will be leaps and bounds ahead 

of their peers. We are all very grateful for this class and 

thank everyone for the chance at a better life. n 

- Dawn Bemtez, Augusta BuddH'9 frildes Apprl'r1ticeshn.) 

2, 7015 
83 

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- Kentucky Governor 

Steve 8esheilr (D): 

i--eoruary 7.015 

CERTIFICATIONS/SPECIALTY TRAININGJOURNEYPERSON UPGRADES 

Building Trades Training :::: life Long Learning 

More Life Long Learning: The Building Trades, Apprenticeship and College Credit 

Construction Management - Rowan University 

College Credit for Apprenticeship Training: Building Trades and the RACC 

The Business Case for Apprenticeship Training 

CONSTRUCTION APPRENTICESHIP 
84 

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NORTH AMERICA'S BUILDING TRADES UNIONS: 

APPRENTICESHIP READINESS PROGRAMS 

Our Goal The Need The Process Getting In 

Act<);, the C'\, Nonh Amrri.::~·, 

Building'frad..:s Union> Jrc 

Trade~ arc committed w 

diversifying th~.: union 

workfon.:c m comtnKtion 

undnrcprc'>cmcd worker>. 

may ch~tngc over rime ba~cd on 

the need~ or n:quircmcnt~ f\1r 

mdJVidu~l program.;;. T!w role 

of dtt• ConHmttccs is to cn-.urc 

make r.:.::ommendauon> lO the 

Buildmg "lf.dc., apprcnticc>hip 

progr.un~. 

"We've seen the good work of apprenticeship programs here in Iowa 

thanks to the leadership of groups like the Central Iowa Building and 

Constwction Trades Council. In fact, that's a big reason why we tripled 

funding for apprenticeship programs." 
85 

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Curriculum Standards 

trainmg dl.lt dne> not 

:1rti\-IILHKl11 

All ofthC:\1.' dtnH.:nt~ are part of 

CONSTRUCTION APPRENTICESHIP 

Examples of Pre~Apprenticeship Programs 

The: Lhnrd J. Mal!nv lniti::ttin: f()r Comtrlh.tion Ski!h.-No::w York CitY, 

NY http://w\\"W.cm~qruninn,kilkorg/ inda.htm! . 

\\!i<;cow.in Rtg)()ml '!J·adcs Partnership/ Big StqH\1i!w.mh'c, \\?I 

http:/ /wnp.oq;' 

Augmt-l BuilJing"Ii·adc' Appn:ntic,·~hip Rt',l.din6<. program-Augmta. GA 

National Partners 

N.ttiotu! UrlHn League 

YourhBui!d USA 

m@aHJ 

www.facebook.com/pages/Ho!mets*to~Hardhats/98321937334 
86 

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88 

Mr. SMUCKER. Again, I would just like to thank the chair of this 

committee for scheduling this hearing on this really important 

topic. It was fascinating, and I know the ranking member earlier 

mentioned some of the other industries outside of what we traditionally think of for apprenticeships, that -- other businesses that 

are establishing apprenticeship programs. I know I just recently 

spoke to Zurich Insurance, which is a Swiss company who has established an apprenticeship program. So this model can really be 

extended well beyond what we think of in traditional apprenticeship programs. And, in fact, Switzerland, Germany, and many European countries are doing just that. So we don’t have to build a 

model from scratch here. We can look for best practices in other 

countries and other organizations. 

And so we have talked about the need for business, that, in my 

area, it is a crisis. Businesses cannot fill jobs, and you know, I 

think our businesses in America are the best in the world at adapting to that changing business environment, and no one knows better than they in what skills and abilities the employees need in 

order to succeed. And I think today we heard some really great examples of programs that are working and programs where businesses are helping to lead the way to develop excellent education 

and workforce development programs that are really providing 

workers with the skills that are needed for these high-demand jobs. 

So I’m very pleased with the discussion that we have had today. 

I know the chair looks forward to working with all members of the 

committee. This really is not a partisan issue, and so I think this 

subcommittee and the committee looking forward to solutions that 

we can come up with and work with the administration to advance 

this. 

So thank you so much. 

Without objection, there being no further business, the subcommittee now stands adjourned. 

[Additional submissions by Mr. Courtney follow:] 

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USA 

TODAY.: 

Department of Labor · Employment and Training Administra

Appreoticest:lip 

WIOAYouth 

Formula Grants 

WIOATrairilng 

and Employment 

SeJ1(ices (TOTAl) 

$873,416,000 $831,842,000 ,514,0

$3,338i69CJ,OOO'< $3,Q4,2,720A)OQ ·$29S.r919,0
90 

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KYFAM 

The Kentucky Federation for Advanced Manu1acturlng Education (KY FAME) is 

a partnership of regional manufacturers whose purpose is to Implement dualtrack. apprenticeship-style training that will create a pipeline of highly skilled 

workers. The primary method to achieve this goal is through partnerships with 

local educational institutions to offer the Advanced Manufacturing Technician 

Program (AMT}. '¥tiif~;.;,y ';$ 'Tt4t: ",-,~~:>'2,1:; .. :..:-,;·,t'·.' 

AMT is a dual-track. five-semester prog!am that matches education with 

continuous rea!-+wortd working experience through a leading manufacturer. 

The AMT program combines proven workpiace components of apprenticeship 

with the earn-and-learn model in subjects including electrtch:y. fluid power, 

mechanics, fabrication and robotics. The result is pakl work experience 

that includes hands-on application and the best practices of a world-class 

manufacturer. Studef'lts who complete this program tecelve the AMT certification 

as weU as an Associate Degree in App!ie<:l Science. Pl1>.~fH1ttiA."'t O?Y~ON~o; There is no doubt that students who participate in the KY FAME program have 

made a decision that w11l give them multiple career options. The Advanced 

Manufacturing Technician (AMD degree is onty the bea!J'iit:linG- Upon completion 

of this associate degree, students have a variety of 

are ready to continue developing their craft can co 

'I 

CAREER 

'----

2-4Hrs. 

Additionally, KY FAME develops programs that focus on the entire person. 

Traditional educational programs emphasize theory. KY FAME sponsored 

programs develop the needed tec-t..nlcaJ skills and job experience as well as 

personal behaviors and core manufacturing skills. The end result is that KY FAME 

graduates are ready to htt the ground running in .a manufacturing career or In 

furthering their educatiOn. 

Technical Skills Per&enal Behaviors 

Electricity 

Auld Power 

Motor Controls 

Maintaining Industria! 

Equipment 

PLCs 

Welding 

Machining 

Drawings 

System Trouble Shooting 

Robotics 

Manufacturing Core 

Exerdses 

SafutyCulture 

Workplace Organization 

Lean Manufacturing 

Machinery Maintenance 

8rReliabi!tty 

Problem Solving 

AMT ASSOCIATE DE

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KYFAMe: 

CHAPTER LOCATIONS 

• 

Chap:.ef1!url~.erCOn$!detatlon 

AmetiCilllWCJOdno.tt'<•JI.isin A\JIO'OOti>ll1 (;«;t~>g • Seldan, Inc • Htghlands DiYerMf'.<Xi • S\lP<ii'IOr Baner-1 • ToyotatAI• Arr><>e•;a • UGN, lnc 

() GREATER LOUISVILLE CHAPTER 

Atl;n Machine& SIJpply • CaJdw1;ll1 Ta:-.!o:i • Cl~r.ar1t C(l(por~tkm • ford Motor Company• C~ AppiOtmoos • :Jttl/WOri<Ca • f'l.tradlse Tomato Kltcl1an • 

\Jn~..ersal Wood; • West pert Axlfl C<:rt>OfMion • Zooll~1 Corno:~~ny 

GREA. TER OWENSBORO CHAPTER // 

Big Rlli&rS Uectnc • Castlen Steel• !kJmt.>rPap&r • Knntterli·Cjj,tk ·Metal>:~ • ()MJCO ?,astlc~, Ire.· Soer..llliity fOOd Prooucts • Sun VvllldowG • TcyoMllUMio-Arnena.a·1rlfect!>•llniflrst 

Dl'JeJ«if1edCJmp011irS • Gmf • H~hn Alfi.ovll!l.km • Knuss-Maffet • ~.!narr.:o~r • U·dv.O>f/ USA· L'O:M: • Mu:>M • Nuoor • Robert !!Iosch AJ!mtl(.ltlva Steering lLC • S~fr!l!l/Messrer-Ougal.tl"Oowty • Skl;,:raft • SWm<!rt US • &wlllkamp Molding • Stobw ·Wagstaff • Zatefoams 

/"""-.. 

For gcnf!rai \fikllirl!t!on com~cr Josh B'*lton ~t tfto Kc:>nbclyCabio.et for I: coMmie Dow!k>pmenl .lollhua.aentml@ky.uw•S<l:.!.5l:l4J140 

FAM 

Kt::NTt,:JO<Y FEDERATION FOR ADVANCED 

MANUFACTURING EDUCATION 

KVFAME.COM 
93 

[Questions submitted for the record and their responses follow:] 

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September 11,2017 

Mr. Mike Bennett 

Vice President 

Cianbro 

101 Cianbro Square 

Pittsfield, ME 04967 

Deal' Mr. Bennett: 

COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION 

AND THE WORKFORCE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

2176 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING 

WASHINGTON, DC 20515-6100 

ROIH Ill C -nm>B\'" SCOH, VlflO!WA 

ilMokml)Meml>e< 

Thank you, again, for testifying before the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce 

Development at the hearing entitled "Expanding Options for Employers and Workers 1l1rough 

Earn-and-Learn Opportunities" on Wednesday, July 26, 2017. 

As a follow-up to your testimony, please t1nd enclosed a question for the record from Rep. Lou 

Barletta for inclusion in the final hearing record. Please provide your written responses to 

Education Legislative Assistant Caitlin Burke no later than October 2, 2017. Her number is 

(202) 225-6558 should you have any questions about this request. 

We appreciate your time and insight, and we remain grateful for your contribution to the 

Committee's work. 

Brett Guthrie 

Chairman 

Subcommittee on Higher Education 

and Workforce Development 
94 

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ncp. Lou Tladetta (H-PA) 

tv.!r. Ben nell, can you discuss some innovative approaches to apprenticeship programs you've 

seen throughout your career, and explain how industry can continue to work with schools to 

encourage participation in them? Arc there barriers that make it harder for the two to work 

together, and, if so, what can Congress do to remove them? 
95 

[Mr. Bennett’s response to questions submitted for the record follow:] 

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burdens that prevent many companies from participating in their local educational centers. The 

legislation passed the House unanimously, but to my knowledge, has yet to be considered in the Senate. 

Very truly yours, 

Michael W. Bennett 

Vice President 

The Cianbro Companies 
97 

[Mrs. Davis’s response to questions submitted for the record follow:] 

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98 

[Whereupon, at 12:11 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.] 

Æ 

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through DOLI helps market the school and attract individuals looking for 

high quality apprenticeships. 

Question for the Record: 

Do you agree that having a registered apprenticeship is a good thing nationally? 

Yes. Registered apprenticeships help produce individuals who are competent 

in the work processes and skills associated with a trade or vocation. 

Registered programs that are also accredited through regional or national 

accrediting agencies also ensures the quality and value of apprenticeships 

being offered by sponsors.