WASHINGTON, Dec. 02, 2024 – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) issued a statement today expressing support for the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) decision to withdraw its proposed rule to overhaul government-registered apprenticeship programs (GRAPs).

"ABC fully supports government-registered apprenticeship programs as a vital component of the construction industry's efforts to upskill over half a million new workers in 2024. However, the DOL’s proposed apprenticeship changes were disconnected from the realities faced by employers and apprentices," said Ben Brubeck, ABC's vice president of regulatory, labor, and state affairs. "We're pleased the Biden administration listened to ABC and industry stakeholders, halting a policy that would have been costly and burdensome, limiting the growth of the GRAP system and worsening the construction industry's labor shortage."

"Feedback from ABC’s GRAP stakeholders on the proposed rule was overwhelmingly negative," Brubeck added. "94% of respondents said the rule would increase costs, and 90% said it would discourage them from starting or sponsoring a GRAP."

Brubeck also noted that the DOL’s proposal overlooked significant challenges within the GRAP system, including union-led efforts to limit new GRAP approvals and restrict taxpayer-funded contracts to businesses aligned with specific unions. “Instead of modernizing, the rule would have reduced flexibility by replacing competency-based GRAPs with time-based programs, restricting state governments' ability to approve new apprenticeship programs, and adding costly administrative requirements.”

According to the DOL's own analysis, the rule would have cost the industry more than $1.3 billion over the next decade.

"The apprenticeship system needs improvement," Brubeck said. "Our analysis of government data reveals that GRAPs are not meeting the workforce demands of the construction industry, with just 250,000 apprentice participants and 45,000 graduates in fiscal year 2023. The withdrawal of this rule could offer an opportunity for the incoming Trump administration to strengthen the GRAP system to meet the nation's workforce needs for critical infrastructure projects."

Earlier this year, ABC submitted over 40 pages of comments urging the DOL to withdraw the proposal.

“ABC continues to educate craft, safety, and management professionals in construction through innovative training models and more than 450 federal and state GRAPs in over 20 occupations across the U.S. to develop a skilled and productive workforce,” said John Mielke, ABC senior director of apprenticeship.