Trade Unions Voice Concerns Over New Apprenticeship Proposal

Trade unions and state officials are at odds over a proposed rule that would increase the number of apprentices who can work under a journeyman tradesman. Current state policy says one journeyman can train the first apprentice employed by a sponsor but two additional journeymen are required to train each subsequent apprentice. The new rule now making its way through the review process establishes a ratio of two to one instead. Directors of union training programs warning the change could pose safety risks and decrease the quality of hands-on learning in the workplace.