IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 286 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that investing in the 

Nation’s skilled workforce is investing in the Nation’s economy, and 

that in accordance with existing law, the House of Representatives should 

promote public and private partnerships to increase training programs, 

tax incentives, industry and State apprenticeships, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 1, 2015 

Mrs. LAWRENCE submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and the Workforce 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

investing in the Nation’s skilled workforce is investing 

in the Nation’s economy, and that in accordance with 

existing law, the House of Representatives should promote public and private partnerships to increase training 

programs, tax incentives, industry and State apprenticeships, and for other purposes. 

Whereas the Department of Labor and State Workforce Investment Boards are uniquely positioned to lead the efforts to secure the Nation’s need for a competitive and 

highly skilled workforce; 


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•HRES 286 IH 

Whereas ‘‘The Skills Gap in U.S. Manufacturing 2015 and 

Beyond’’ report projects that over the next decade, nearly 

3,500,000 manufacturing jobs will likely need to be filled, 

and the skills gap is expected to result in 2,000,000 of 

those jobs going unfilled; 

Whereas many manufacturing companies and large corporations have invested in more automation and complex machinery to reduce labor cost, comprehensive training programs are still needed to increase the skill levels of employees to maintain, troubleshoot and repair those automated systems; 

Whereas highly skilled and technical workers are as valuable 

to the Nation’s workforce as college graduates; 

Whereas apprenticeship programs meet the skilled workforce 

needs of the Nation’s industry, and have been training 

millions of qualified individuals for careers since 1937; 

Whereas the successes of State and private industry programs such as the South Carolina Works Apprenticeship, 

Michigan’s Skilled Trades Training Fund, Microsoft Student Advantage, and IAM/Boeing Joint Apprenticeship 

demonstrate best practices to be studied; 

Whereas the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act must better provide for States to include community partners and private industry as they develop 

plans for career and technical education programs; 

Whereas States and local educational agencies need to better 

assess student development of 21st century skills as an 

element of the youth workforce investment activities and 

adult and dislocated worker training services funded by 

local workforce development programs; 


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Whereas apprenticeship training has proven to be one of the 

most effective ways to develop highly skilled craftspeople 

in selected trades; 

Whereas apprenticeships are cost effective, goal orientated, 

and designed to meet specific skill needs of employers; 

Whereas the U.S. Department of Labor maintains a database 

of all registered apprentices in the United States and as 

of 2014, shows only 410,000 registered apprentices; 

Whereas in 2003, there were about 489,000 registered apprentices in the United States and in 2014, there were 

only 288,000; 

Whereas only 2 percent of the registered apprentices are related to manufacturing industries; 

Whereas the manufacturing industry employs approximately 

12,000,000 workers and less than 1 percent of the total 

manufacturing workforce receives formal advanced training in the form of apprenticeships; and 

Whereas statistics show that a graduate apprentice earns a 

higher wage, has a more stable work record, and is promoted more quickly and more often than workers who 

have not completed an apprenticeship: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that greater investment in the Nation’s skilled 

3 and technical workforce is needed and all appropriate 

4 measures should be taken to ensure the Nation’s work5 force remains competitive by incentivizing States and priVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:31 Jun 02, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR286.IH HR286

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1 vate industry through tax credits, competitive grants, and 

2 other measures. 

Æ 


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