Supporting Apprenticeship Colleges Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4588
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Education
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-22: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-12T08:06:26Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The Supporting Apprenticeship Colleges Act of 2025 aims to provide federal funding to help colleges expand and support enrollment in registered apprenticeship programs focused on construction and manufacturing trades. These programs combine classroom learning with on-the-job training to prepare students for skilled jobs, such as painting, drywall installation, glazing, or glassworking.
Key Provisions
- Short Title (Section 1): The bill is named the "Supporting Apprenticeship Colleges Act of 2025."
- Community Outreach Grant Program (Section 2):
- The Secretary of Education, working with the Secretary of Labor, awards grants to eligible colleges (defined as institutions of higher education sponsoring construction and manufacturing-oriented registered apprenticeship programs).
- Grants are capped at $500,000 per recipient and fund outreach efforts to attract students and employers.
- Required outreach activities include:
- Educating high school students, parents, guardians, and teachers about program benefits.
- Building relationships with local businesses, especially in rural, exurban (areas just beyond suburbs), and suburban regions, to encourage hiring graduates and keep them working locally.
- Partnering with local workforce development boards (groups that connect job training to local job needs) and apprenticeship intermediaries (organizations that help match apprentices with employers) to reach nontraditional students (e.g., adults returning to education) and address community-specific needs.
- Applications must be submitted to the Secretary of Education.
- Priority goes to colleges targeting rural students, first-generation college students (those whose parents did not attend college), minority students, nontraditional students, or other underrepresented groups (those not typically in apprenticeships due to gender, ethnicity, or national origin).
- Funding: $5 million authorized annually from fiscal year 2026 through 2030.
- Student Support Grant Program for Expanded Academic Advising (Section 3):
- Similar grant structure: Up to $500,000 per recipient, administered by the Secretary of Education in consultation with the Secretary of Labor.
- Funds advising and support services to help students stay enrolled and complete their apprenticeships, focusing on retention (keeping students in the program) and persistence (ongoing progress toward completion).
- Required services include:
- Academic advising expansions, such as career guidance, professional development, support for English language learners (including those using Braille or American Sign Language), resource systems, mentoring, and other enrollment aids.
- Student support expansions, such as health and family services (e.g., counseling for substance abuse or mental health), aid for first-generation students, childcare, and similar activities.
- Colleges can receive grants under both Sections 2 and 3.
- Applications must be submitted to the Secretary of Education.
- Recipients must submit a report to the Secretary within 180 days of program end, covering activities, student participation (including high school students), progress on enrollment and completion rates (especially for underrepresented groups), alignment with federal workforce performance indicators (from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), and other details.
- Funding: $5 million authorized annually from fiscal year 2026 through 2030.
- Definitions (Section 4):
- Key terms include:
- Construction and manufacturing-oriented apprenticeship college: A college sponsoring such programs.
- Construction and manufacturing-oriented registered apprenticeship program: A federally registered program (under the National Apprenticeship Act) providing training for construction or manufacturing jobs, leading to a recognized credential (e.g., a degree or certificate beyond just apprenticeship completion), with credits applicable toward further education, and accredited under federal higher education standards.
- Eligible entity: A qualifying apprenticeship college.
- Other terms: First-generation college student, high school, institution of higher education, outreach (communications and relationship-building), recognized postsecondary credential, registered apprenticeship program, second language (non-English, including sign language), Secretary (of Education), and underrepresented population.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill introduces new grant programs not previously authorized under current federal education or workforce laws. It builds on existing frameworks like the Higher Education Act (governing college accreditation and credentials), the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (defining workforce credentials and performance measures), and the National Apprenticeship Act (for registering apprenticeships) but adds specific funding for outreach and student support in construction and manufacturing apprenticeships at colleges. No direct amendments to prior laws are made; instead, it creates standalone authorizations for appropriations.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: The Department of Education will lead grant administration, with input from the Department of Labor, increasing their workload in reviewing applications, prioritizing awards, and analyzing reports. This could enhance coordination between education and workforce agencies to promote vocational training.
- Citizens: Students, particularly from rural areas, underrepresented groups, first-generation families, and nontraditional backgrounds, may gain better access to affordable, job-focused education, leading to higher completion rates and employment in high-demand trades. Employers could benefit from a larger pool of skilled, locally trained workers, potentially reducing labor shortages in construction and manufacturing.
- International Relations: No direct impacts; the bill focuses on domestic workforce development.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Institutions of Higher Education: Qualifying colleges sponsoring apprenticeship programs, which can apply for grants to grow enrollment and support services.
- Students: High schoolers, first-generation and minority students, nontraditional learners, and English language learners, who gain targeted outreach and advising to enter and complete programs.
- Employers and Businesses: Local companies in construction and manufacturing, especially in rural and suburban areas, through outreach to build hiring pipelines.
- Community Organizations: High schools, workforce development boards, and apprenticeship intermediaries, involved in outreach to connect students with opportunities.
- Federal Government: Departments of Education and Labor, responsible for implementing and funding the programs.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: The bill aligns with federal priorities for workforce development by integrating apprenticeships into higher education, ensuring programs meet accreditation and credential standards to avoid fraud or low-quality training. It requires measurable outcomes (e.g., completion rates) tied to existing laws, promoting accountability without creating new regulatory burdens.
- Constitutional: No apparent issues; it involves standard congressional spending power for education and does not infringe on state rights, as grants are voluntary for eligible institutions.
- Political: Emphasizes vocational education over traditional four-year degrees, potentially appealing to efforts to address skills gaps and economic inequality. By prioritizing underrepresented groups and rural areas, it supports equity in access to trade careers, though funding levels ($10 million total annually across both programs) are modest compared to broader education budgets, limiting scale without future appropriations.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (34)
Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8], Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2], Rep. Budzinski, Nikki [D-IL-13], Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33], Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6], Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. Carey, Mike [R-OH-15], Rep. Kean, Thomas H. [R-NJ-7], Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22], Rep. Turner, Michael R. [R-OH-10], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17], Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray [D-CA-31], Rep. Sykes, Emilia Strong [D-OH-13], Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44], Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24], Rep. Morrison, Kelly [D-MN-3], Rep. Finstad, Brad [R-MN-1], Rep. Stauber, Pete [R-MN-8], Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6], Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1], Rep. Fischbach, Michelle [R-MN-7], Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2], Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3], Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6], Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12], Rep. Miller, Max L. [R-OH-7], Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19], Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6], Rep. Steil, Bryan [R-WI-1], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10], Rep. Kennedy, Timothy M. [D-NY-26], Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2], Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-22: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- 2025-07-22: Introduced in House
- 2025-07-22: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Supporting Apprenticeship Colleges Act of 2025 — issued 2025-07-22 — PDF (10 pages)