Date: 1987-04-02
Speaker: R IEGLE (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. today. I am introducing the Apprenticeship. Improvement Act to strengthen the ability of* the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training [BAT] to: meet the demand for highly skilled and technically proficient workers for the remainder of this decade and beyond. I am happy to have the distinguished Senator from New Mexico. Senator BINGAMAN and my friend and colleague from Michigan. Senator LEviN. as cosponsors of this legislation. A properly trained and skilled work force is vital to rebuild and maintain our countrys stature~in an increasingly competitive world economy. The emerging lowpaid. lowskilled jobs will not provide our country with the economic resources upon which America can reduce its $170 billion trade deficit and regain Its position of leadership In research and development. Since colonial times. apprenticeship training has effectively provided American workers with the skills needed for highdemand occupations. Improving apprenticeship training promotes a key objective of Federal economic policy by offering a lowcost method of maintaining and expanding the quality of our Nations work force. The Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training. established as an entity of the Department. of Labor. Is charged with the regulation and development of apprenticeship programs. Unfortunately.. the staff of the Bureau has been decimated by. budget cuts -Inrecent years. During the past 5 years alone. BAT has suffered staff reductions of 43 percent. BAT offices in several major metropolitan areas have been closed and. as a result. several important services have been discontinued. The Apprenticeship Improvement Act of 1987 will reaffirm Congress commitment to apprenticeship and training by increasing the staff of the .Bureau to an equivalent of 376 fulltime employees. In addition. the bill would do the following: Limit the authority to conduct reductions in force within the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training by disallowing such a reduction ifit Would reduce the number of civilian employees within the Bureau to fewer than 376 fulltime employees. -... Require a setaside of 1 percent of the funds for outreach. recruitment. and training programs to increase the participation of women. minorities. handicapped. displaced workers. and the disadvantaged. Require the Secretary to Submit to Congress within 6 months of enactment. a detailed report concerning the Departments directive to determine whether apprenticeship programs comply with regulations governing equal opportunity. The report will include a detailed description of activities carried out by the Department to ensure such compliance. a list of compliance reviews undertaken. and a report describing any sanctions imposed as a result of compliance reviews. Require the Secretary to establish and maintain a national information collection system for apprenticeships and apprenticeship programs. Mr. President. the future of the American work force is much too important to allow a program such as this to continue to deteriorate. The restoration of positions is moderate. It would not reach the 1981 level of 459 fulltime positions. but would exceed the present level of 262 positions. Further. it would elevate the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training to a more important place in the Department of Labor by putting it within the Office of the Secretary. with an administrator reporting directly to the Secretary of Labor. I urge my colleagues to support this necessary change. I ask unanimous consent that a table of employment patterns for the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training be printed in the RECORD. I also ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed In the RECORD.