DOL Seeks Some Registered Apprenticeship Wins

As if inspired by college basketball’s March Madness, the Department of Labor (DOL) has launched its own “shot clock” portal highlighting the number of apprenticeship programs registered in DOL’s Office of Apprenticeship states on a monthly basis, and the average amount of time it took to register the programs. This shot clock is one of many actions DOL took this week to advance the registered apprenticeship system.

DOL explains that it aims to “improve flexibility and reduce burdens for registered apprenticeship program sponsors, promote clarity and consistency in the registration process across states, elevate quality standards, and increase transparency surrounding the structure of the national apprenticeship system.”

Along with “shot clock” website, DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) also issued three new guidance documents to provide apprenticeship program sponsors clearer direction on how to design programs that fit their workforce’s needs, outline the roles and functions of state apprenticeship agencies and councils, and clarify how to determine apprenticeship completion rates. ETA also seeks to make final apprenticeship determinations within 30 days of receiving registrations.

The three new guidance documents are:

• Circular 2026-01: Provides updated guidelines for Registered Apprenticeship program design under the three approaches to completing an apprenticeship program.
• Circular 2026-02: Outlines the roles and functions of state apprenticeship agencies and apprenticeship councils.
• Circular 2026-03: Clarifies how apprenticeship program completion rates are determined and used to improve program quality and announces a Registered Apprenticeship performance data portal.

DOL promotes registered apprenticeship as a proven model of workforce development that pairs on-the-job learning under an experienced mentor with related technical instruction to prepare apprentices for high-paying jobs in skilled occupations. The agency seeks to exceed 1 million active apprentices, as set out in President Trump’s Executive Order 14278, Preparing Americans for the High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future.

As the economy continues to struggle, the idea of getting more people the skills to work is a slam dunk (to borrow another basketball analogy). We’ll be interested to see if these policies are a win for the system.

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