United States Department of Labor

OVERVIEW

An apprenticeship is a combination of on-the-job training and related instruction in which a worker learns the practical and theoretical aspects of a highly-skilled occupation. Apprenticeship programs can be sponsored by individual employers, joint employer and labor groups, and/or employer associations.

One of the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) roles is to safeguard the welfare of apprentices, ensure equality of access to apprenticeship programs, and provide integrated employment and training information to sponsors and the local employment and training community. The Department's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) provides a list of contacts to help in locating apprenticeship opportunities. See also Hiring - Apprenticeship Programs.

In addition, the Wage and Hour Division enforces the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA) and sets the wage rates for apprentices on Davis-Bacon projects. The DBRA requires that each contract over $2,000 to which the U.S. or the District of Columbia is a party, or which is federally assisted, for the construction, alteration, or repair of public buildings or public works contain a clause setting forth the minimum wages to be paid to various classes of laborers and mechanics employed under the contract. Contractors or their subcontractors are to pay workers employed directly upon the site of the work no less than the locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits as determined by the Secretary of Labor. On Davis-Bacon projects, the proper wage rates to be paid to apprentices (as defined by the DOL) are those specified by the particular programs in which they are enrolled, expressed as a percentage of the journeyman rate.

COMPLIANCE ASSISTANCE MATERIALS

BASIC INFORMATION

• Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer, and Labor Services Web Site (OATELS) - Provides information about apprenticeship for employers and employees. Explains what apprenticeship programs are, how employers can establish their own programs, and how individuals can apply to become apprentices.

• Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Web Page - Compliance assistance resources on the Acts.
• Frequently Asked Questions- Questions and answers on apprenticeships and Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rates.
• U.S Department of Labor's (DOL) Apprenticeship “By Topic” Web Page - Online gateway to DOL apprenticeship resources.

FACT SHEETS

• Registered Apprenticeship Fact Sheet 1 - Information on DOL's Registered Apprenticeship program.

E-TOOLS

• FLSA Hours Worked Advisor - Provides information about which work-related activities (including time spent in training) are considered "hours worked" under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS

• The National Apprenticeship Act - Labor standards for the registration of apprenticeship programs.
• 29 CFR Part 29 - Regulations on apprenticeship programs.
• 29 CFR Part 30 - Regulation describing requirements for equal opportunity in apprenticeship and training.
• Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA) - Provides information on an employer's obligations to apprentices employed on federally-funded construction contracts.
• 29 CFR Part 5 - Regulations on labor standards provisions under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts.

DOL CONTACTS*

• Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
  Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services (OATELS)
  200 Constitution Avenue, NW
  Room N-5311
  Washington, DC 20210
  Tel: 1-877-US2-JOBS (1-877-872-5627), or 202-693-2796
  TTY: 1-877-889-5627
  Fax: 202-693-2808 or 202-693-2761
  Local Offices

• Wage and Hour Division
  200 Constitution Avenue, NW
  Room S-3502
  Washington, DC 20210
  Contact WHD
  Tel: 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243)
  TTY: 1-877-889-5627
  Local Offices

• For questions on other DOL laws,
  please call DOL's Toll-Free Help Line at 1-866-4-USA-DOL (1-866-487-2365). Live assistance is available in English and Spanish, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Additional service is available in more than 140 languages through a translation service.
  Tel: 1-866-4-USA-DOL (1-866-487-2365)
  TTY

*Pursuant to the U.S. Department of Labor's Confidentiality Protocol for Compliance Assistance Inquiries, information provided by a telephone caller will be kept confidential within the bounds of the law. Compliance assistance inquiries will not trigger an inspection, audit, investigation, etc.