Rep. Luke Messer (IN-06) today introduced the You’re HIRED Act to encourage more apprenticeships and on-the-job-training programs.
The You’re HIRED (Helpful Incentives to Restore the Economic Dream) Act would allow employers to qualify for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) if they hire workers through an apprenticeship program. Apprenticeships are specialized training programs sponsored by employers in a given trade or sector.
“Apprenticeships are a win-win for American job creators and the modern American worker,†Messer said. “These specialized training programs can help match workers with in-demand jobs, bridge the skills gap plaguing many Hoosier communities, and provide an alternative to a traditional degree. This bill will help re-energize our workforce and increase our competitiveness in a 21st-century economy.â€
According to the U.S. Labor Department as noted in the Wall Street Journal, nine out of ten Americans who complete apprenticeship programs get a job with an average starting annual salary of $60,000. Yet only five percent of young American workers participate in apprenticeships.
Messer’s legislation coincides with President Donald Trump’s effort announced today to expand apprenticeships in nontraditional industries – the Apprenticeship and Workforce of Tomorrow Initiatives. President Trump’s effort focuses on programs that allow American workers to “earn while they learn.†Messer thanked President Trump for his leadership on this issue.
Messer – who chairs the House Republican Policy Committee – launched the Task Force for the American Worker this year to help solve modern-day workforce issues and restore the American Dream.
