August 16 - Congress Passes the National Apprenticeship Act

On this day in Labor History the year was 1937. 

That was the day that the U.S. Congress passed the National Apprenticeship Act. 

It was also known as the Fitzgerald Act.

The purpose of the act was “to formulate and promote the furtherance of labor standards necessary to safeguard the welfare of apprentices.” 

Apprentices are workers learning a skill set. 

They are typically paid less than skilled workers or journeymen during the course of their training.

Apprenticeship programs are especially found in the building trades, where learning skills like plumbing or electrical work might take years of dedicated training. 

But before the protection of the 1937 act, there was no national standard governing apprentice programs. 

This led some apprentices to be exploited, earning lower wages even after they gained the skills they needed to do the job as journeymen. 

In 1911, Wisconsin was the first state to pass legislation to structure the apprentice system. 

In the 1920s multiple labor unions advocated for national apprentice standards to promote fairness and safety for workers.

Recognizing the need for national apprentice guidelines, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt commissioned a committee to study the issue. 

They were tasked with developing training standards for apprenticeship programs. 

The 1937 law gave the committee the authority to complete their job. 

The committee on apprentice training became a permanent part of the Department of Labor. 

The Bureau of Apprenticeship works with State governments to ensure the fair treatment of apprentices.   

Today apprentice programs provide classroom and on-the-job training to help developed a skilled labor force. 

In 2015, 52,500 participants graduated from the registered apprentice programs. 

Nearly ½ a million workers participated in apprentice training programs, learning skills that will help build their financial security.