Honoring the 80th Anniversary of the National Apprenticeship Act

In recognition of the 80th anniversary of the National Apprenticeship (Fitzgerald) Act, Jobs for the Future’s Center for Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning, our partners, and leaders from throughout the national apprenticeship system explore the rich history of apprenticeships in the United States. We highlight successes of key leaders and programs, focus on recent innovations, and look toward apprenticeships of the future. Viewers and speakers represent U.S. Department of Labor grantees, leaders from organized labor, employers, community college staff, and a range of other stakeholders.

• Greg Chambers, Director of Compliance, Oberg Industries
• John Ladd, Administrator, Office of Apprenticeship, U.S. Department of Labor
• Bob Lerman, Institute Fellow, Urban Institute
• Dan Marschall, Executive Director, Working for America Institute, AFL-CIO
• Karen Morgan, Director, Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards
• Eric Seleznow, Senior Fellow at JFF, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor

Since Wisconsin created the first state Registered Apprenticeship system in 1911, and Congress enacted the National Apprenticeship Act in 1937, much as changed in the national apprenticeship system—more workers and businesses are engaged, secondary and postsecondary institutions are more involved than ever before in the training, and apprenticeship is now a more widely accepted pathway to the middle class. What has not changed are the fundamentals of apprenticeship—on-the-job work experience, coupled with related training and instruction, with close supervision and mentoring on the job that produces strong results for both workers and employers.