Great news for the Arkansas workforce
Lonnie Emard
Editor’s Note: Exciting news from Washington broke just as we were finalizing the April issue of the newsletter—the White House has issued Executive Orders calling for a vast expansion of Registered Apprenticeships. Apprenticely will be sending out a press release about it this week, but here our National Apprenticeship Director, Lonnie Emard, explains just what these Orders mean.
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ONE MILLION APPRENTICES will truly represent prosperity and success in the American economy. As this month’s reflection on Apprenticely@Work, I’d like to highlight the impacts of our efforts in Arkansas and let all of our partners and employers take credit. The extent to which we have delivered on the promise that comes with the use of Registered Apprenticeship as a proven workforce strategy becomes multiplied and magnified by the President’s recent announcement of two Executive Orders that speak directly to apprenticeships.
These Executive Orders continue the Administration’s focus on Registered Apprenticeships and highlight direction and policy that organizations like Apprenticely and our partners can build upon. The two orders are shown below, along with key objectives that will have direct impact on our strategic direction.
1. A call for the use of apprenticeships in Artificial Intelligence-related occupations: This Order directs the Secretary of Labor to establish goals for increasing Registered Apprenticeships in A.I.-related occupations, including the use of discretionary, WIOA, and National Science Foundation funding to implement these goals. Together, the Department of Labor and NSF are directed to “identify and promote high-quality A.I. skills education coursework and certifications” and promote funding, performance targets, and partnerships for fostering their adoption.
2. The establishment of a goal to grow the number of active apprentices to one million: This mandates the development of a plan by the Secretaries of Labor, Commerce, and Education, with the Office of Management and Budget, to reach and surpass one million active apprentices, including avenues for expansion to new industries and occupations, plans for scaling and improving the efficiency of apprenticeships, and opportunities to use Perkins and federal student aid to “enhance connections between the educational system and registered apprenticeship.” This Order requires a cross-department review of worker development efforts at the Departments of Commerce, Education, and Labor, including identification of “opportunities to integrate systems and realign resources” and “restructure and consolidate programs.” The review will also identify ineffective programs with plans to reform or eliminate these programs. Other aspects of the review include the identification of opportunities for administrative and process improvements, innovations, investments in the upskilling of incumbent workers, strategies for using alternative credentials to the four-year college degree, and other efficiencies in performance measurement processes.
Following is the press release to be distributed by Apprenticely regarding these Executive Orders.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2025
Contact: Clint Hankinson
Director of Marketing
clint@apprenticely.org
803-608-0179
A Bright Future Ahead for Arkansas’ Workforce Through the Expansion of Registered Apprenticeships
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas – In advance of National Apprenticeship Day on April 30th, the White House released an executive order with the goal of expanding apprenticeships by one million nationwide, “renewing the American Dream by revitalizing and reshaping our workforce into a highly skilled powerhouse of potential.”
According to a U.S. Department of Labor news release:
U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer…attended the signing of President Trump’s Executive Order “Preparing Americans for High-Paying, Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future.” The directive calls on the U.S. Department of Labor, Department of Commerce, and Department of Education to “unlock the limitless potential of the American worker” by working toward strengthening Registered Apprenticeships, modernizing workforce development programs, and investing in opportunities to upskill workers to meet current labor market demands.
“This is exciting news for Arkansas’ workforce,” says Bill Yoder, Apprenticely Executive Director. “Our state has seen the growth in the number of Arkansans participating in the workforce in well-paying, in-demand jobs through the proven model of Registered Apprenticeship.”
Since 2019, Apprenticely has helped over 1600 Arkansans build their careers and over 180 employers build their talent teams through Registered Apprenticeships. Apprenticely is widening the talent pool by introducing non-traditional career paths in Manufacturing, Healthcare, IT, Transportation, and other sectors – giving more Arkansans opportunity and hope for a brighter future.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the U.S. Department of Labor, the State of Arkansas, and our many other partners to expand apprenticeships,” says Lonnie Emard, Apprenticely National Apprenticeship Director. “This announcement from the White House reinforces what we’ve already discovered – apprenticeships are a key tool in growing a successful workforce.”
To learn more about Apprenticely, visit apprenticely.org.
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About Apprenticely
Apprenticely (formerly the Arkansas Center for Data Sciences) is dedicated to growing the workforce through the model of Registered Apprenticeship by fostering collaboration, establishing critical partnerships, and developing talent in high-demand, high-growth areas.
Apprenticely works with key partners including: Arkansas Workforce Connections, a division of the Arkansas Department of Commerce; Arkansas Department of Education; Arkansas Economic Development Commission; Arkansas Advanced Energy Association; Forge Institute; Xpanxion Technology; Pluralsight; Arkansas Academy of Computing; University of Arkansas Global Campus; Newport Economic Development Commission; ASU Newport; SEARK Community College; Arkansas Local Workforce Boards; Shorter College; and many others.
