NABTU President Applauds Administration's Support for Apprenticeships

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 31, 2026 – In a recent announcement, the President of North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), Sean McGarvey, emphasized the enduring success of the Registered Apprenticeship model. This approach, pivotal in training countless individuals for construction careers, is lauded for its effectiveness and is now being championed for expansion into other sectors by the current Administration.

McGarvey stated, “For nearly a century, Registered Apprenticeship has been the gold standard of workforce development. In that time and like no other, building trades unions have shown the maximum effectiveness of this model by training millions of men and women for middle class careers in construction. That is why NABTU applauds the Administration for supporting Registered Apprenticeship and in particular, their efforts to encourage widespread adoption in more industries.”

However, McGarvey also raised concerns about potential risks associated with the Department of Labor's (DOL) new guidance, which could be exploited by less scrupulous training providers. He emphasized the importance of maintaining training quality, stating, “The DOL’s new guidance does raise questions regarding unscrupulous training providers using it to cut corners and shortchange workers’ training. For this reason, NABTU will work with Secretary Chavez DeRemer and ETA Assistant Secretary Mack to ensure the Administration’s goals for quantity of new Registered Apprentices doesn’t inadvertently sacrifice quality.”

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Media Contact: Betsy Barrett, (202) 997-3266 | bbarrett@nabtu.org

About NABTU: North America’s Building Trades Unions represents a coalition of 14 national and international unions in the building and construction sector, advocating for over 3 million skilled professionals across the U.S. and Canada. These unions, alongside their contractor partners, annually invest over $2.5 billion in the private sector to support over 1,900 apprenticeship training facilities across North America. This investment ensures the production of highly skilled and safe craft workers. NABTU is committed to enhancing economic security and expanding employment opportunities for construction workers, emphasizing wage and benefits protection, promoting responsible investments, and creating pathways to middle-class careers for diverse communities. More information is available at nabtu.org.