DOL Kills Apprenticeship Rule Aimed to Raise Standards, Increase DiversityDOL Kills Apprenticeship Rule Aimed to Raise Standards, Increase Diversity

The U.S. Department of Labor last week confirmed to HR Dive that it won’t be moving forward with its embattled apprenticeship rule meant to update the existing Registered Apprenticeship program.

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs marked that the rule had been withdrawn on Nov. 27. DOL did not respond to questions asking the reason for the withdrawal.

The proposed rule had been intended to strengthen labor standards and protections within the RA program as well as improve access to the program for historically underrepresented groups, such as women and people of color. 

Republican leaders, however, pushed back on the rule’s time-based model for apprenticeship completion, which would require apprentices complete a certain number of hours on the job as well as in-classroom time—thus eliminating the option for apprenticeships to be completed by proven competency alone.

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