WASHINGTON, DC – President Donald J. Trump’s Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion today submitted a report to the President providing a strategy to create more apprenticeships in the United States through an Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship model.

Members of the Task Force – representing business, labor, trade and industry groups, educational institutions, and public officials – approved the report during their fifth and final full meeting.

“President Trump’s Administration is committed to bridging the skills gap by creating apprenticeships that reflect the needs of jobs creators,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. “The Task Force established through the President’s Executive Order brought together varied perspectives to create a strategy for expanding apprenticeships across all industries. I am grateful to the Task Force members for sharing expertise and insight that shaped this final report, which provides a road map to help Americans learn the skills they need for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”

“Apprenticeships give students proven and meaningful ways to gain skills and kickstart fulfilling careers,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. “I’m excited by the proposals the Task Force on Apprenticeships is putting forward to the President. We must continue our efforts to strengthen workforce readiness and increase the number of pathways available to students after high school.”

“The current half a million apprentices are simply not enough to fill the more than 6 million unfilled jobs at U.S. companies in today’s labor market,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “This thoughtful, practical strategy will make 2018 an inflection point that helps solve today’s labor market challenges and creates the workforce of the future.”

Apprenticeship programs, when implemented effectively, provide workers with a career path featuring paid on-the-job instruction, skills development, and mentorship, while at the same time providing employers with a steady source of highly trained and productive workers. These programs have the potential to grow into a critical and successful component of America’s workforce strategy, but are currently underutilized.

To help more Americans learn relevant skills for family-sustaining jobs, the President’s Executive Order called for the Secretary of Labor to establish a Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion. The mission of the Task Force was to identify strategies and proposals to promote apprenticeships, especially in sectors where apprenticeships are insufficient.

Click here to view the Task Force’s report.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s Executive Order to increase job opportunities for military spouses:

“America recruits soldiers and respects families. President Trump’s Executive Order will help retain military families by recognizing the skills, expertise, and experience of military spouses. The President’s action also advances the Administration’s commonsense efforts to improve the portability of occupational licenses, which frequently create barriers to work for military spouses who relocate across state lines. I look forward to working with the President to carry out this Executive Order on behalf of the military spouses who give so much to our nation.”

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta issued the following statement regarding the April 2018 Employment Situation report:

“This is a great time to be a job seeker in America. Last month, the unemployment rate fell to 3.9%, the lowest level in nearly 18 years. The unemployment rate for adult women was 3.5%, the lowest level since December 2000. Both the African-American unemployment rate and the Hispanic unemployment rate are at the lowest level ever recorded. In April, 164,000 jobs were added, including gains in goods-producing industries, such as manufacturing, mining and logging, and construction.

“America’s job creators are confident. Since President Trump’s election, nearly 3.2 million American jobs have been created. That includes nearly 800,000 jobs added since the President signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law.

“In April, the rise in average weekly earnings amounts to an annual increase of approximately $1,300 – a real boost for American families. These increases do not include the millions of bonuses received by American workers since the President’s tax cuts.  Although there was an increase in wages, we would like to see more wage growth.

“Although there is room for improvement in overall labor force participation, we are encouraged to see labor force participation among those between 25 and 54 years of age rebounding, having increased from 81.3% to 82.0% since the President’s election.  This means 900,000 prime-age Americans joined the workforce since November 2016.”

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor invites news organizations that wish to participate in press lock-ups to renew or request credentials. The new credentials will be valid beginning in August 2018.

News organizations with reporters and correspondents currently attending press lock-ups must reapply and complete the credentialing process described in the Policy Statement and News Organization Agreement. Both news organizations now participating in the department’s lock-ups and those that do not must follow the same request process, as both groups will be considered a single pool of candidates.

Space in the lock-up facility is limited, with room for between 20 and 25 news media representatives. Depending on demand, the Department may be unable to issue credentials to all who request them, and may limit news organizations to one seat.

To balance these limitations with its goal of advancing the purpose of pre-release access, news organizations must meet the Policy Statement’s criteria to be credentialed. They must be both:

• Primarily journalistic enterprises.
• Preparing, publishing, broadcasting and/or posting on the Internet time-sensitive summaries and analysis of Department data, which are likely to contribute significantly to public understanding through the dissemination of original news, analysis and/or opinion.

In addition, the Department believes that the purpose of pre-release access would be best served if the Department’s credentialing decisions result in a group of credentialed news organizations that – when considered as an overall group (and not necessarily on an individual basis) – distribute a variety of types of news/media products that reach a wide and diverse audience, including geographically, and include general public versus specialized media.

The Department will not consider editorial or political viewpoints in making credentialing decisions.

The Policy Statement and News Organization Agreement identifies the policy and procedures that the Department will use to determine which news organizations are authorized to participate in its lock-ups and the requirements applied to those selected to participate. It also provides the agreement form that news organizations and their participating representatives must sign to receive credentials from the Department.

News organizations seeking credentials may submit a request by May 16, 2018. The request must be signed by the organization’s Washington bureau chief and include a phone number and email address. Requests may be emailed to Kindelan.Megan@bls.gov. Information provided to the Department on how the news organization’s participation in lock-ups will advance the purposes identified in the Policy Statement and News Organization Agreement will be important in the Department’s consideration of the credentialing request.

Bureau chiefs should include a list of reporters for whom they are seeking credentials along with their request for their organization’s credentials.

The Department will advise news organizations of their status via email no later than July 23, 2018.

WASHINGTON, DC – As part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s ongoing efforts to encourage occupational licensing reform, the Department today announced $7.5 million in funds to help review and streamline occupational licensing rules. Funds will be available to states, and associations of states, to review, eliminate and reform licensing requirements, and to promote portability of state licenses. Additionally, grant funding will be available to post-secondary institutions and occupational licensing partners to address barriers to licensure for veterans and transitioning service members.

“Excessive licensing raises the cost of entry, often prohibitively, for many careers, barring many Americans from good, family-sustaining jobs. In 1950, only 1 in 20 jobs required an occupational license. Today, more than 1 in 4 require a license to work,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. “These grants are part of the Department of Labor’s efforts to eliminate and streamline excessive licensing requirements. If licenses are unnecessary, eliminate them. If they are necessary for health and safety, then streamline them and work with other states for reciprocity.”

Grant Funds for States to Review and Streamline Licensing Requirements:

Individual states may apply for between $100,000 and $450,000 for a three-year grant. An existing association of states can apply for up to $1 million for a three-year grant.  The Department intends to make funding available for up to 20 states, and may also fund one to two associations of states. 

Successful applicants will objectively analyze the relevant licensing criteria, potential portability issues, and whether licensing requirements are overly broad or burdensome. Importantly, applicants should provide specific plans of action designed to reduce excessive licensing. Applicants are also encouraged to consider the potential of alternative approaches to licensing that would be adequate to protect public health and safety (such as professional certification).

Grant Funds to Address Licensure Challenges for Veterans and Transitioning Service Members:

To address barriers to licensure for veterans and transitioning service members, applicants for funded projects will select one or more licensed occupations, and conduct academic credit and gap analyses between military education and training in selected licensed occupations. Based on these analyses, grantees will develop bridge training curricula customized to close those gaps to enable veterans to qualify for state licensure in the selected occupation. Each awardee will identify and address licensing requirements in high-demand occupation areas such as transportation, healthcare, protective service, and mechanical/construction occupations.Successful applicants will support the development and wide dissemination of appropriate accelerated educational and licensing programs.

For additional information on grant eligibility and how to apply for funds, visit http://www.grants.gov.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta welcomed Jorge Triaca, Argentina’s Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security, to the U.S. Department of Labor today to discuss bilateral cooperation and to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that promotes further collaboration between Argentina and the United States on labor and employment issues. Argentina holds the presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) this year. 

“Today’s meeting with Minister Triaca continues bilateral engagement on important labor priorities, including combating child labor and human trafficking, promoting quality apprenticeships, and exploring greater cooperation on issues such as occupational safety and health,” said Secretary Acosta. “I look forward to continuing these discussions in September at the G20 Labor Ministers’ meeting in Argentina.”

Minister Triaca is visiting Washington to deepen bilateral cooperation and discuss the agenda for the G20 Labor Ministers’ meeting. Labor Ministers will hold a joint meeting with their G20 counterparts responsible for education policies to promote more integrated actions to prepare workers for the jobs of the future in September 2018 in Mendoza, Argentina.

The MOU between the U.S. Department of Labor and Argentina’s Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security focuses on cooperation with Argentina on workforce development, combating child labor and forced labor, and promoting occupational safety and health.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta issued the following statement today regarding President Trump’s Executive Order on Reducing Poverty in America by Promoting Opportunity and Economic Mobility:

“President Trump is working to create jobs and opportunity for the American people, with nearly 3 million jobs created since Election Day 2016. A good job provides a pathway to economic independence. The President’s Executive Order takes an important step to help all Americans achieve self-sufficiency through quality, family-sustaining employment.”

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta issued the following statement regarding the March 2018 Employment Situation report:

“The American economy remained strong in March.  For the sixth month in a row, the unemployment rate was at a 17-year low of 4.1%.  Steady job growth continued, with 103,000 jobs created in March.  Since President Trump’s election, the American economy has added nearly 3 million new jobs.  As we have seen in recent months, manufacturing and mining and logging in particular experienced significant gains.  The unemployment rate among both adult men and adult women was 3.7%.

“Average hourly earnings in March rose by 2.7% over the previous 12 months, and the 3-month average increase in earnings is the highest since 2009.  This trend is welcome news to American families.  As job creators compete to hire American workers, we hope wage growth continues.

“President Trump’s tax reform continues to fuel economic growth as Americans see more money in their paychecks.  Looking forward, Congressional action on the President’s infrastructure plan will drive continued growth.”

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta said the omnibus appropriations bill signed into law includes strong support for President Donald J. Trump’s priorities for the American workforce.

“As President Trump works to expand job opportunities across the nation, the omnibus appropriations bill bolsters initiatives that help Americans access good, family-sustaining jobs,” said Secretary Acosta. “From increased resources to expand apprenticeships to additional support for programs that help veterans transition to the civilian workforce, this legislation advances key priorities for the Trump Administration.”

Key Provisions in Omnibus Appropriations Bill:

Apprenticeships:

Apprenticeship is a proven workforce development strategy that helps Americans both earn wages and learn skills. The omnibus appropriations bill includes a 53 percent increase above the Fiscal Year 2017 funding level for apprenticeship programs that will help to expand opportunities for family sustaining jobs. 

Office of Labor Management Standards:

The omnibus appropriations bill includes a 5.2 percent increase in funding for the Department of Labor’s Office of Labor Management Standards, which promotes democratic rights of rank-and-file labor union members and labor-management transparency through reporting and disclosure requirements for labor unions and their officials, employers, and labor relations consultants.

Veterans’ Employment and Training Service:

The omnibus appropriations bill includes a 5.7 percent increase in funding for the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), including: $5 million for the Transition Assistance Program; $5 million for Jobs for Veterans State Grants; and $5 million for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.   

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA):

The omnibus appropriations bill includes an $80 million increase in funding for WIOA, which is designed to strengthen and improve America’s public workforce system and help get Americans, including youth and those with significant barriers to employment, into high-quality jobs and careers and help employers hire and retain skilled workers.

The Department of Labor looks forward to working with our nation’s governors to extend flexibility to empower those at the local level.

Tip Pooling:

The omnibus appropriations bill includes a bipartisan statutory provision to ensure that workers in the back of the house (i.e., cooks, bussers, dishwashers) can participate in tip pools in appropriate circumstances. Importantly, this same provision makes clear that employers themselves cannot keep tips.

COLUMBUS, OH – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta today announced a new National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Demonstration Grant pilot program to help communities fight the opioid crisis. The U.S. Department of Labor will initially fund seven to ten pilot programs with awards totaling $21 million. Secretary Acosta made the announcement during a visit to the Maryhaven Stabilization Center in Columbus, Ohio.

The grants may be used to help provide new skills to workers, including new entrants to the workforce, who have been or are being impacted by the opioid crisis. Additionally, funds may be used for workforce development in professions that address or prevent problems related to opioids in American communities, such as addiction treatment service providers, pain management and therapy service providers, and mental health treatment providers.

“The tragedies of opioid misuse and abuse devastate families and communities, and keep too many Americans out of the workforce,” Secretary Acosta said. “President Trump declared the opioid epidemic a national public health emergency, committing the full resources of his Administration to helping Americans impacted by the crisis. The importance of a job and work in reducing opioid abuse cannot be overstated. The Department of Labor’s grant pilot program will focus on returning individuals impacted by opioids to the workplace.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Time-Use Survey found that 44 percent of prime-age men not in the labor force acknowledged taking pain medication the previous day. Recent studies suggest that up to 20 percent of the steady decline in labor force participation among prime-age men aged 25-54 may be attributed to opioid use.

This announcement follows a roundtable discussion today in Columbus, Ohio, among job creators, state and local government officials, and industry group leaders about ideas and strategies to get more Americans back to work after opioid misuse or abuse. The discussion took place at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. Columbus is one of the areas hardest hit by the opioid crisis.

“Our discussion today was especially poignant. Every day, 11 people in Ohio die from complications of opioids,” Secretary Acosta continued. “It is clear that we stand a much better chance of defeating the opioid crisis by working together.”

“I want to express my sincere thanks for everyone’s participation today. I specifically want to thank U.S. Senator Rob Portman, who was among the very first people to sound the alarm about opioids, and who continues to be a leading voice for Ohioans and all Americans on this issue.”

“President Trump and his Administration are committed to helping Americans recover, rebuild, and get back to work. We are committed to helping Columbus, and every state, city, and town across the country overcome and heal from this epidemic.”