Senate bills aim to speed apprenticeship approvals, track outcomes

Two bills introduced in the Senate last week aim to expand apprenticeship opportunities across the U.S.

What’s happening: The Streamlining Timely Apprenticeship Registration and Transparency (START) Act would require state apprenticeship agencies to approve or deny apprenticeship applications within 90 days — or face financial penalties, creating a “shot clock” to speed up approvals. 

• Meanwhile, the Apprenticeship Data Value Improvements to Create Employment (ADVICE) Act would establish a committee to work on standardizing data collection regarding apprenticeship programs, as well as the tracking of program outcomes through details such as employment and pay rates. 

The big picture: U.S. employment of HVAC technicians and installers is projected to grow eight percent between 2024 and 2034, with roughly 40,000 projected annual job openings, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

• The moves follow the Trump administration’s efforts to champion apprenticeships, including an April 2025 directive to reach and surpass one million new active apprentices in the U.S.  

What they’re saying: “These apprenticeship reform bills strengthen the United States’ ability to scale the registered apprenticeship system,” Kristen Swearingen, vice president of government affairs at Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), said in a statement, adding that the bills would give program sponsors “clear insight into how to improve and expand programs.”