Budzinski introduces LEAP Act to expand apprenticeships

By ELIZABETH DONALD
Illinois Correspondent

Washington – Illinois Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski has introduced a pro-Labor bill for apprenticeship programs, similar to the Illinois Works program recently expanded by Gov. JB Pritzker.

Budzinski joined with U.S. Reps. Mike Carey (R-Ohio), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) and Val Hoyle (D-Ore.) to introduce the LEAP Act, which stands for Leveraging and Energizing America’s Apprenticeship Programs. The bill is intended to address the job skills gap by supporting apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, using federal tax incentives to encourage more businesses to hire apprentices.

An earlier version of the act was introduced by former U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), but Budzinski changed it to eliminate age limits and emphasize the eligibility of pre-apprenticeship programs. It provides a $1,500 federal tax credit for businesses hiring new apprentices registered with the U.S. Department of Labor or a state agency.

WIN-WIN FOR EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES
“By providing tax credits to small businesses, this bill will both address the need for more qualified workers and cut educational costs for job seekers –  a win-win for employers and employees,” Budzinski said.

Carey said the apprenticeship programs will help in multiple industries, including construction, health care, technology, energy and manufacturing.

Apprenticeship is a major priority in Illinois this year, as Pritzker recently expanded the Illinois Works pre-apprenticeship program with a $13 million funding increase. The program creates a qualified talent pipeline of diverse candidates for construction and the building trades and is expected to increase the number of pre-apprentices by 40 percent this year. Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville is a participant in the program, among others.

Before the program began, approximately 28 percent of Illinois apprentices were people of color and only five percent were women. In the first year, the numbers rose to 85 percent people of color and 21 percent women.

A few weeks ago, Budzinski also co-signed the Richard Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO), a bipartisan proposal to protect workers’ rights to bargain by closing loopholes in Labor laws, supporting free and fair elections and holding employers accountable for violating employees’ rights. Initially proposed by U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott and Brian Fitzpatrick and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Labor organizations such as the AFL-CIO are lobbying and passing petitions in support of the PRO Act.