WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su joined members and leaders of Arriba Las Vegas Workers Center on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, for a roundtable discussion on protections for immigrant workers and their enforcement. The event included a discussion on the department’s process for supporting worker requests for prosecutorial discretion and highlighted examples of successful Department of Labor enforcement efforts. 

The roundtable fell on the one-year anniversary of the department obtaining a consent judgment in federal court requiring Unforgettable Coatings, a Las Vegas paint and specialty coatings contractor who intimidated workers, to pay $3.6 million to 593 employees in four states. Arriba Las Vegas Workers Center assisted the department in contacting workers during that investigation.

Arriba is a recipient of a 2023 Susan Harwood Training Grant from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These grants are used to support education and training to help workers and employers recognize serious workplace hazards, employ injury prevention and understand workers’ rights and employers’ responsibilities under federal law.

“I want to recognize the important work each of you and Arriba Las Vegas as an organization does. I know that many of you are leaders in your community,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “I also congratulate you on your Susan Harwood grant, which is awarded by the Department of Labor to help community organizations promote occupational health and safety at work.” 

“It is a priority for me and my department that all workers can exercise their rights. The Department of Labor must also do everything within our power to enforce labor laws.” Acting Secretary Su added. “Enforcing labor laws is a tool not only to combat wage theft and protect workers, but also to support them in increasing their power. Let's work together to achieve it.”

Learn more about the U.S. Department of Labor’s investigation of Unforgettable Coatings Inc. 

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Charlotte A. Burrows today issued a joint statement to mark the first anniversary of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act:

“On Dec. 29, 2022, President Biden signed into law much-needed and long overdue workplace protections for pregnant and nursing workers. We celebrate the first anniversary of legislation that so many long fought for to create more equitable workplaces. 

“Failures to accommodate limitations related to pregnancy and nursing have long acted as barriers to equitable workforce participation by women. It’s more apparent than ever that limiting pregnant and nursing workers’ opportunities hurts them and their families and limits the size of our labor force and the strength of our economy. Since these laws have been in effect, we have already seen that the PWFA and the PUMP Act are helping support the health and economic security of pregnant, postpartum, and nursing workers and their families nationwide.

“The PWFA is a tremendous step forward for families because it gives pregnant workers access to reasonable accommodations, allowing them to keep doing their jobs free from discrimination and retaliation. This law enables workers with limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions to obtain changes at work that could help them stay employed and healthy during pregnancy and while they recover from childbirth, when doing so  would not pose an undue hardship for the employer. These accommodations can be as simple as more frequent bathroom breaks or modifications to no-food policies. The law protects part-time, temporary and seasonal workers as well as full-time employees in all industries.

“The PUMP Act extends the right to break time and a private place to pump at work to millions more nursing workers and provides remedies for nursing workers whose rights have been violated. Before the PUMP Act, millions of workers had to choose either not to pump or to continue pumping and face possible discrimination, harassment or job loss as a result. The protections the PUMP Act enshrined into law will continue to empower new parents to express milk at work, providing greater peace of mind and reducing potential economic, mental health and physical consequences for nursing workers.

“Our agencies have been busy working together to make referrals, coordinate investigations, cross train federal personnel and  educate workers about their new rights and employers about their responsibilities under the new laws. Together, we have developed a series on maternal health to share information about the protections provided by both laws and a new “Know Your Rights” resource outlining key federal workplace protections for pregnant, postpartum and pumping workers. The Department of Labor has launched an industry-specific webinar series on the PUMP Act, and the EEOC provides a host of resources related to the PWFA.

“We look forward to continuing to educate workers, employers, and our partners throughout the country on these laws and the protections they provide.”

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su issued the following statement on the December 2023 Employment Situation report: 

“Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 216,000 jobs in December, and the unemployment rate held steady at 3.7 percent, continuing the longest stretch of unemployment below four percent in more than 50 years. Today’s numbers demonstrate an economy that’s growing at a strong and steady pace, which was a consistent story throughout 2023. 

“In the past year, jobs grew by an average of 225,000 a month, totaling 2.7 million jobs created in 2023. We also experienced this sustainable growth across many industries. For example, in construction, an average of 16,000 jobs were created each month last year, and manufacturing job growth remained steady throughout 2023. In addition, last year, we marked historic milestones. Labor force participation among prime-age women hit an unprecedented high, and the annual rate of unemployment for Black workers was 5.5 percent, the lowest annual unemployment rate for Black workers since we started tracking this data.   

“The stable economic growth of 2023, along with evidence pointing to a broad and equitable recovery, was not pre-ordained. It is the result of President Biden’s vision that when we do right by workers, our economy does well, and our country gets stronger. In the Biden-Harris administration, we also know that we have more work to do. Looking ahead to 2024, we will continue to focus on creating high-quality jobs and investing in all of America’s workers so that our economy grows from the middle out and the bottom up.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: This statement has been edited to correct the number of jobs in construction added per month on average in 2023. It is 16,000, not 1,000. 

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su joined General Services Administrator Robin Carnahan, Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director for Management Jason Miller, Rep. Shontel Brown, and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb in Cleveland on Dec. 18, 2023, to announce a final rule implementing President’s Biden’s Executive Order 14063 requiring Project Labor Agreements for most large-scale federal construction projects.   

The rule will help ensure that large federal construction projects are completed efficiently and on time, while also supporting good, high-quality jobs. The rule will empower workers as the President’s agenda rebuilds America’s infrastructure. 

The delegation made the announcement at the Celebrezze Federal Building. Currently, the GSA is working to modernize the building to better serve the needs of veterans, students, retirees and other communities seeking federal supports. Contractors and unions have entered into a PLA for the project that creates equitable workforce development pathways into the trades and Registered Apprenticeships. 

“The Biden-Harris administration is here to announce a final rule that requires – with just a few limited exceptions – Project Labor Agreements on federal contracts valued at or above $35 million,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “First and foremost, this new rule is good for the government’s bottom line.”  

“Today is the start of something big,” Su continued. “We’re proving that what makes good sense for government is also good for workers. It’s good for businesses. It’s good for our country. Thank you all for being a part of it.”  

Learn more about the President’s Executive Order requiring Project Labor Agreements.  

WASHINGTON – Today, the Biden-Harris administration is taking critical steps to advance the American Climate Corps, a landmark initiative announced by President Biden in September 2023 to train the next generation of clean energy, conservation and climate resilience workers, while putting them on a path to good-paying union jobs. 

As part of this commitment, the Department of Labor joins six federal agencies – the departments of Commerce, Interior, Agriculture, Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and AmeriCorps – in a Memorandum of Understanding that will serve as a blueprint for the multiagency program. The memorandum lays out the mission, goals, priorities and next steps for implementing President Biden’s American Climate Corps.

Beginning in January, senior administration officials will convene a series of virtual listening sessions to hear directly from prospective American Climate Corps applicants and implementing partners, including labor unions, educational institutions, employer partners, and state, local and Tribal governments about their priorities for the American Climate Corps. The sessions will inform the implementation of this historic new initiative. Learn more about the virtual listening sessions. 

“As part of President Biden’s American Climate Corps, the Department of Labor is doing its part to make sure these opportunities are equitable and accessible for all workers,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “This whole-of-government partnership reflects our commitment to train tens of thousands of young people to tackle the climate crisis while putting them on a path to good jobs.”

Under the MOU, agencies are agreeing to the following American Climate Corps’ principles:

• Reflect a comprehensive approach to tackling climate change. 
• Build upon and expand existing partnerships, while also initiating new partnerships in communities across the country.
• Compensate members to ensure the initiative is accessible to all.
• Provide a pathway to high-quality employment.
• Expand workforce pathways in and led by disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.
• Serve all of America’s communities by improving climate resilience, reducing climate pollution, and by creating economic opportunity in our urban, rural, suburban and wilderness remote areas. 

The memorandum also establishes an Executive Committee – comprised of the Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor, CEO of AmeriCorps, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Labor, Secretary of Energy, and Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency – that will provide leadership across the federal government for the American Climate Corps, as well as a working group to formally carry out and implement the initiative.

Within the first three weeks of launching the American Climate Corps, more than 40,000 people, about two-thirds of whom are ages 18-35, expressed interest in joining the initiative. The American Climate Corps is on track to establish the first cohort of members in the summer of 2024. 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su issued the following statement on the November 2023 Employment Situation report: 

“Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 199,000 jobs in November, and the unemployment rate ticked down to 3.7 percent, continuing 22 straight months of an unemployment rate under 4 percent. Not since 1970 has unemployment been this low for this length of time, demonstrating once again that Bidenomics is working.

“This jobs report shows steady, sturdy and sustainable economic growth, with an average monthly gain of 204,000 jobs over the past three months. In addition, average hourly earnings have grown 4 percent over the year – with some of the strongest increases going to low-wage workers – putting more money in people’s pockets, heading into the holiday season.

“This is what growing the economy from the middle out and the bottom up looks like. Under President Biden, our economy has gained 14.1 million jobs, expanding opportunities for more working families across the country. This administration will continue to focus on making sure all of America’s workers can get high-quality jobs in a strong and stable economy.” 

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su welcomed business and finance leaders, workers and worker advocates to the department’s Washington headquarters on Nov. 28, 2023, to discuss the case for businesses, investors and related entities to expand their practical understanding of the benefits of worker voice.

Participants included leadership from Microsoft, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, the AFL-CIO, a Communications Workers of America worker-leader and organizer, and other business and labor leaders and worker advocates.

“We’re seeing record levels of worker organizing across the country and a fundamental shift in how workers view work and the role of work in their lives,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “To meet workers in this moment, the Department of Labor is promoting pathways to good jobs through initiatives that prioritize high-quality jobs, promote equity and support economic empowerment. I’m grateful for the opportunity to convene workers and business leaders as we enter a new frontier change in attitudes from industry and the investor community, and how it’s impacting workers and their employers for the better.”

“New Frontiers for Empowering Workers and Business” included two conversations about emerging strategies for building and recognizing worker voice and demonstrate how businesses and investors can leverage these new dynamics to become more resilient and competitive in partnership with workers. 

“Broadly shared economic thriving is good for the economy and a good economy is good for a universal public pension fund portfolio,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “I was thrilled to join Acting Secretary Su and fellow panelists to discuss progress being made on the labor front and highlight the importance of ensuring fundamental rights are upheld throughout the workplace. I look forward to working with fellow members of the Labor Rights Investor Network in the coming months to engage with companies on critical issues impacting their workforce.”

The in-person and online event also explored new forthcoming data on worker sentiment that can inform industry and policy, and powerful models for embedding worker voice that show how workers and employers can thrive together.

“Having an unemployment rate persistently below 4 percent is something that many economists didn’t think was possible, and we believe that it’s due to the big investments that have been made in workers,” said Acting Executive Director Kitty Richards of Groundwork Collaborative, a non-profit think tank and advocacy group in Washington, D.C. “As wages are rising, and workers are organizing and conditions are improving, a lot of people are now in the labor market who weren’t really there before. We can grow our businesses and communities, but we need to understand what is bringing people into the job market and what is keeping people out. My hope is that this new data will help inform businesses and policy makers.” 

“Microsoft created labor principles that are embedded in our culture. We listened to workers, engaged leaders in the process and invested in learning to develop and implement these principles,” said Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Human Resources Legal at Microsoft Amy Pannoni. “I was grateful to participate in today’s discussion and hear about the experience of others, especially workers at ZeniMax. Thank you to Acting Secretary Su and her team for creating an opportunity to share real-world guidance to empower workers and business.”

“As founders, we have a view of the world that workers should be able to organize, collective bargaining is good for business,” said Akash Systems Co-Founder and CEO Felix Ejeckam. “Manufacturing has shrunk to single digits of our GDP and we’re now trying to reverse that by bringing back jobs that have moved to countries with labor standards that we don’t approve of. We’re trying to bring those jobs back in a very different way to pay people a good wage and give them a real stake in the business and that’s going to require a different way of thinking. We’re being creative about our partnerships and working with a union is how we get to define what we want in this new labor force.”

“Working with a company that has committed to neutrality means employees are a lot happier, they’re not scared to lose their jobs, they’re working better and being more productive and the result is less turnover,” said Zenimax Central Services Quality Assurance Lead and CWA member Rhyanna Eichner. “In our industry, institutional knowledge is very important, and we prioritize that along with other things like professional development because we believe that if our employees are better trained and ready, it will benefit both the worker and the company.”

“From safety and health to training and professional development, there are all sorts of ways that companies can be much more communicative about the way they treat workers,” said Trillium Asset Management Chief Advocacy Officer Jonas Kron. "I appreciate the opportunity to speak with folks who are in a position to take on these data requests that can help us invest in more intelligent ways.”

“We must involve the community to make sure that if we're investing taxpayer money into public and state projects, then workers in those communities should be the first to get those jobs,” said Strategic Adviser to the President of the AFL-CIO Cindy Estrada. “And then we need to focus on how to prepare those workers to be successful in those jobs. Workers should not have to punch out of a democracy when they punch into work. A union is really about workers having a voice in important decisions on the job. These decisions not only impact workers' wages, health and safety and other priorities, they impact the communities around us. I can’t think of a more productive way for our country to go than that.”

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su has appointed two new members of the Administrative Review Board. 

The ARB issues decisions on behalf of the Secretary of Labor in cases arising under a wide range of worker protection laws, primarily involving environmental, transportation and securities whistleblower protection; H-1B immigration provisions; child labor; employment discrimination; job training; seasonal and migrant workers; and federal construction and service contracts.

The newly appointed members of the Board are as follows:

• Angela Thompson most recently served as general counsel of the Communications Workers of America. Prior to that role, she was associate director of the legal department of the American Federation of Teachers. She also previously worked at the National Labor Relations Board and the department’s Office of the Solicitor
• Jonathan Rolfe served as vice-chair of the department’s Benefits Review Board prior to his appointment. He has been a member of the BRB since 2015 and served as a trial attorney in the department’s Office of the Solicitor. 

ARB cases generally arise upon appeal from decisions of the department’s Administrative Law Judges or the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division. Depending upon the statute at issue, the parties may appeal ARB decisions to federal district or appellate courts and ultimately to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ms. Thompson and Mr. Rolfe join ARB Chair and Chief Judge Susan Harthill, Vice Chair Tammy L. Pust and Member Ivey Warren, and their appointments ensure full membership on the Board. 

SAN FRANCISCO – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su today joined Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai in San Francisco at the launch of the Presidential Memorandum on Advancing Worker Empowerment, Rights, and High Labor Standards Globally. 

Below are Acting Secretary Su’s remarks, as delivered:

“Alright, now I have to do what Kelly said, which is bring it home, right here at home.

“But thank you so much for that, Katherine. I am so grateful for your leadership and your partnership. And under your leadership, the United States is writing a new story about trade and making clear that labor rights are not an obstacle to trade policy; it’s really a cornerstone of it. And there is no one better to lead us and make that real than you. So, thank you very, very much.

“And I also want to, of course, thank Secretary Blinken for what everyone has already said but also for his deep dedication to lifting up workers and workers’ rights and workers’ voices all around the world. 

“And I want to recognize our Speaker Emerita – our Speaker – Nancy Pelosi who…

[Applause]

“I know, you can’t say her name without getting that kind of reaction.

“But I also want to say, as a woman leader, as a fierce defender of workers’ rights, as somebody who – you know, it’s about knowing your power, but also about unleashing your power. And I ask at the Department of Labor every day, ‘What are we doing to unleash the full power of the Department for the good of working people?’ You embody what it means to unleash power whenever you have it. And so, thank you so much for that.

“And I want to thank brother Rudy Gonzalez, for being such a phenomenal leader. We were just together here in San Francisco recently. And it’s so amazing to be here with you again and to be with everybody in this room. You all are why we are gathered here in San Francisco. It’s about all the other things, but it’s also about the incredible labor movement that is built and nurtured right here in San Francisco. And it’s about the worker leaders in this room and around the world who are really demonstrating what is possible when workers have real power. 

“So, as you all know, every worker deserves a just day’s pay for a hard day’s work. 

“Every worker should come home healthy and safe at the end of the day. 

“And every worker should have a right to join a union. 

“And these are not just American values. They apply to workers around the world. 

“And in President Biden’s America, we want to lead by example. So, we are supporting workers across our country – from health care to hospitality to Hollywood, from teachers to flight attendants, from delivery drivers to longshoremen – who are demanding their fair share and who are saying that we deserve to be valued. 

“So, let’s look at the auto industry. We’ve already talked about that some. But last week, I was with President Biden in Belvidere, Illinois, where a factory that had been closed is now going to reopen. And it’s not just going to bring back jobs; it’s going to grow new jobs. For the future of an industry that’s in transition, it’s going to be built by union workers. And that only happened because unions had a seat at the bargaining table and were able to demand that kind of outcome. 

“That’s in addition to the historic wage increases, and the benefits, and the retirement, and having a say in the future of the industry that was demonstrated by that particular negotiation. 

“And as so many of you in this room know, as [ILWU International] President Adams knows well, and gave me the great privilege of seeing up close in his negotiation: collective bargaining works. 

“And wins for unions are not just wins for union members. They’re also wins for non-union workers. We’re seeing that again in the auto industry with the wage increases that have already been made by non-union companies. [UAW] President Shawn Fain calls is the ‘UAW bump.’ And he is right about that. And we see that in all kinds of industries today. 

“And you all know that leadership matters, and we’ve seen positive trends for workers’ rights and increased power for unions and for collective bargaining, because we have a President who supports workers using their voice. 

“It’s different when I walk into the room and can say that this President believes that the only people who can decide whether a contract is fair are the members themselves. 

“And that matters. And that’s what ‘Union Joe’ is making a difference. And that’s why having the most pro-union, pro-worker President in history is making a difference. And that’s what we celebrate today with this Presidential Memorandum.

“Now at the same time, we all know that there’s a lot more work that we have to do. 

“And corporations are global. So, workers, and worker power, and the way we think about workers have to be global, as well. 

“So, when some corporations cut corners and contract out work to low-road businesses that exploit workers around the world, it creates an unfair playing field for every responsible business that does right by its workers. 

“When global actors are allowed to evade labor laws in one country by exploiting workers in another part of the world, this undermines workers’ rights everywhere.

“And when workers are harassed, discriminated against, and attacked as they produce things that are sold all around the world, we cannot simply look away and ignore the ways that our global economy brings with it global responsibility. 

“In other words, what happens in Bangladesh also affects working families across the United States, from Birmingham to Boston to Bellingham. 

“And in recent weeks, in Bangladesh, garment workers have been risking their lives and, in some cases, have even been killed protesting for a fair minimum wage. This is unacceptable. 

“And that’s why today’s announcement is so historic. 

“Now, for the first time, the United States will use a whole-of-government approach to elevate labor rights around the world. 

“At the U.S. Department of Labor, this is core to what we do. 

“So, when my team meets with leaders at ministries of labor around the world, we advocate for workers’ rights to organize and collectively bargain. 

“To further this work, we’ve expanded our network of labor attachés around the world from one to 10. And they work closely with their State Department counterparts to embed labor rights in our foreign policy.   

“You already heard both Rudy and Ambassador Tai talk about our work in Mexico. And we are grateful to work under the great leadership of Ambassador Tai and her team, as well as the Mexican labor ministry on making sure the provisions of the USMCA are meaningful and real and to build the infrastructure so that Mexican workers can truly have a union of their choice.

“And we’ve also launched the Multilateral Partnership for Organizing, Worker Empowerment, and Rights – or M-POWER. And with M-POWER, we’re elevating the role of freedom of association and independent unions. Because, as has already been said, strong labor organizations aren’t just foundational for workers’ rights; they are foundational for healthy, inclusive democracies. 

“The Department of Labor is also expanding its work to combat forced labor and to improve transparency and accountability from the bottom to the top of global supply chains. 

“I know how important this is because I have seen it up close. And you all will remember this story from California, when 72 garment workers who had been trafficked to the United States from Thailand and were forced to work behind barbed wire and under armed guard, sewing garments for 18 hours a day. 

“This happened, in part, because these workers, who were overwhelming women, faced poverty wages or lack of opportunity at home, which made them vulnerable to traffickers who promised them a good job in the United States. And that promise turned out to be a lie. 

“They sewed garments, right here in California, until their fingers were raw and their vision blurred.

“And once these workers were discovered, they did the unimaginable—they fought back. And I was privileged to be their attorney at that time, and we brought a challenge against the multi-billion-dollar industry in which they were working. 

“Because human trafficking is just one of the many examples of how labor abuse and lack of rights for workers in one part of the world makes them more vulnerable to abuse elsewhere – and how the global demand for cheap labor also makes workers vulnerable in every part of our globe.

“And in the Biden-Harris administration, we are using every tool we have to stop this.   

“So now, with the Presidential Memorandum, every federal agency is committed to use all the tools at their disposal to empower workers around the world and to lift up workers’ rights to organize. 

“The real measure of our progress is not going to be in policy pronouncements. It’s not going to be dollars of investments. It’s not going to be in numbers, as the Ambassador already said. It’s going to be in seeing workers using their voices to stand up and fight for their basic needs.

“It’s going to be in more workers joining together and exercising their fundamental rights to organize.

“More workers rejecting the message that they’ve been told their whole lives, that they should just keep their heads down and know their place. 

“Because we in this room know that workers’ place is at the table. It’s on the picket line. It’s in the headquarters where decisions are being made. 

“And that’s what it means to have a pro-worker, pro-union President, who believes in worker power and workers’ ability to demand more. 

“And this will happen when we see more workers getting their footing in the middle class, not just in this country, but around the world. 

“So, I look forward to continuing to work with all of you here and around the world to make sure that the U.S. government leads by example and that we make real and profound progress together. 

“Thank you all so, so much. And let’s get it done.”

WASHINGTON – At Department of Labor’s headquarters in Washington today, Acting Secretary Julie Su, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Domestic Policy Advisor to the President Neera Tanden, Department of Commerce Senior Counselor Zoe Baird, and other public and private sector leaders gathered to kick off National Apprenticeship Week 2023 with a graduation ceremony for students who recently completed apprenticeship programs. 

Acting Secretary Su and Secretary Cardona congratulated more than 25 recent graduates who received certificates and crossed the stage to applause from their families, apprenticeship program sponsors and employers. The graduates represented apprentices in a cross-section of high-growth industries that included education, construction, IT and cybersecurity, healthcare and advanced manufacturing. Tanden and Baird also offered congratulatory remarks to the graduates. 

“Registered Apprenticeships use proven strategies that help connect young people with good jobs and provide employers with skilled, entry-level employees,” explained Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “The apprenticeship program graduates we honored here today at the Department of Labor remind us how these programs change peoples’ lives, creating a brighter future for them and for our nation.” 

Leading up to today’s kick-off event, President Biden issued a proclamation on National Apprenticeship Week on Nov. 9, 2023. During the ceremony, Acting Secretary Su announced the first cohort of youth Apprentice Trailblazers, part of an initiative launched in August 2023, and revealed the department’s plans for the first National Youth Apprenticeship Week, scheduled from May 5 to 11, 2024. 

“Apprenticeships are opportunity multipliers. Keep learning and pay it forward, using your voice to inspire the next generation,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona exclaimed. “By sharing your stories, you can elevate apprenticeships in your community and be a champion for economic opportunity.” 

The event also included a live discussion in which the department’s Senior Advisor for Employment and Training Manny Lamarre talked with a recently graduated apprentice and their parent about their experience.

The event was one of more than 1,300 events and resolutions planned from Nov. 13 to 19 to highlight the value and importance of Registered Apprenticeships. The learn-as-you-earn model provides youth and others with work-based and experiential learning and creates career pathways to good-paying jobs and equips them for career success. Registered Apprenticeships also offer employers with a talent pipeline of entry-level workers to support their workforce development needs and strengthen their communities’ economies.