National Apprenticeship Week, 2020

Proclamation 10116 of November 6, 2020

National Apprenticeship Week, 2020

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Apprenticeships provide American workers tangible
skills and an industry-recognized credential. They
strengthen our Nation's economy and help millions of
men and women provide for their families without taking
on the financial burden of student loans and other
related debt. During National Apprenticeship Week, we
celebrate the American workers who create a brighter
future for themselves and their families through
apprenticeships, and we further our commitment to
bolstering opportunity as we continue our economic
comeback.

For decades, politicians and bureaucrats in Washington
neglected workers, shipped jobs overseas, and abandoned
essential manufacturing industries. When I took office,
I reversed these policies and pledged to always put the
American economy, labor force, and worker first. Under
my leadership, we have cut taxes, removed burdensome
regulations on businesses, and renegotiated our trade
deals, all of which led to historic job creation and
economic growth. Apprenticeships are a pillar of our
effort to continue this trend, and my Administration
remains committed to supporting initiatives that
empower Americans and prepare our workers to compete
and thrive in a 21st-century economy.

Since taking office, my Administration has worked
tirelessly to empower more Americans with the benefits
of apprenticeships and the skills they provide. In June
of 2017, I signed an Executive Order on Expanding
Apprenticeships in America. Under my leadership, the
Department of Labor has awarded $80 million across 42
States and territories for occupational skills
education for American students and workers, 800,000
Americans have joined apprenticeship programs, and we
are well on the way to meeting my goal of 1 million new
apprentices by September of next year. In Fiscal Year
2019 alone, we registered more than 250,000 new
apprentices in vital industries, including advanced
manufacturing, financial services, educational
services, transportation, healthcare, and informational
technology. My Administration also recently launched
the Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program model,
which provides opportunities for industry-led, market-
driven training that expands workforce development and
opens windows to well-paying jobs in high-demand
industries. In recognition of our Nation's obligation
to our military men and women, my Administration has
also expanded the United Services Military
Apprenticeship Program across all branches, providing
apprenticeship opportunities to our service members
while they are still on active duty to help them
prepare for prosperous and fulfilling lives after their
time in uniform.

My Administration will also continue to work with
industry partners to provide workers with the skills
they need to succeed in today's economy through the
Pledge to America's Workers. This initiative recently
proved essential as our Nation confronted the
unprecedented challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.
As part of our ongoing response, we launched the
largest industrial mobilization since World War II, and
thousands of new apprentices answered the call for
skilled labor in key sectors like manufacturing,
healthcare, cybersecurity, and information technology.
These efforts

demonstrate that, when government allows the free
market to respond, the spirit of the American worker
and the strength and resolve of America's economy will
overcome any challenge.

This week, we recommit to bolstering economic
opportunity through apprenticeships. I encourage
individuals, business leaders, and government officials
to support hardworking Americans and their families
through expanding apprenticeship education and
training, recognizing the essential role
apprenticeships play in sustaining our national
economy.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim November 8 through
November 14, 2020, as National Apprenticeship Week.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.