Free Republic

President Joe Biden signed an executive order this week revoking former President Donald Trump’s order providing federal funds to apprenticeship programs created by industries, calling for more government-controlled alternatives.

GOLDSBORO, N.C. — Smithfield Foods, Inc. is pleased to announce the launch of its new apprenticeship program aimed at developing the next generation of experienced professionals for valuable skilled trades. The program provides internal candidates, high school graduates, and military veterans with hands-on engineering and mechanic training while earning their associate degree. Program participants receive free college tuition, salary, and benefits as they progress through the program. “The workforce is changing rapidly, and we understand the importance of preparing the next generation of manufacturing professionals with an adaptable and diverse skillset,” said Lisa Swaney, chief human resources officer for Smithfield...

Expanding apprenticeship and vocational education are a priority of the Trump administration, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said Tuesday in a meeting of the Department of Labor's specially chartered Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion."Apprenticeship expansion is a priority for President Trump, as he demonstrated by establishing the task force last summer," DeVos said. "In the State of the Union address, he called on everyone, not just the Department of Education, or Labor, or Congress, or Washington, everyone to invest in workforce development, and job training, and great vocational schools so our students and future workers can learn a craft and...

Schröder Gets Tough on Traineeship Deficit Not enough to go around -- Germany faces a disastrous dearth of internships for young graduates. German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has threatened companies with legal measures if they don’t hire more apprentices and help the many high school graduates currently in limbo. German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder met with the heads of the country’s trade unions after a two-month break on Monday. Unlike past acrimonious meetings dominated by strident opposition among the unions to the chancellor’s raft of economic and labor reforms, this time the two sides were in consensus on a key issue plaguing...