WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) released the following statement in response to his Bring Registered Apprenticeships to Veterans (BRAVE) Act being included in the FY23 omnibus. The BRAVE Act, which unanimously passed the House as a standalone bill in November 2021, requires the Department of Labor (DOL), in consultation with the Veterans Administration, to provide servicemembers transitioning off active duty with information about how to apply for and access registered apprenticeship opportunities as part of the Transition Assistance Program (TAA). The bill also requires DOL to create a user-friendly website where veterans can find more information about these opportunities and whether an apprenticeship program gives preference to veterans in the hiring process.

“The brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Services are highly skilled and uniquely qualified to learn a trade and strengthen our workforce, and it is only right that we provide them with world-class opportunities to do that,” said Congressman Norcross. “As a former union apprentice and father of a veteran, delivering these opportunities to our nation’s heroes has been a top priority for me. Registered apprenticeships allow early-career individuals to find good work, earn while they learn, and graduate with the skills to find family-sustaining careers. Expanding these programs to our veterans will not only honor our commitment to military families but also supercharge our construction, manufacturing, and energy industries. I’m proud that my bill is included in the omnibus and grateful for the opportunity to support those men and women who defend our nation.”

“The IBEW strongly supports the BRAVE Act, which will connect veterans with rewarding careers in the construction industry through registered apprenticeship programs. On behalf of the IBEW’s 775,000 active and retired members, I applaud Rep. Norcross for championing this important effort to create bright futures for our returning service members,” said President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Lonnie Stephenson.

“With the inclusion of the BRAVE Act in the 2022 omnibus bill, transitioning servicemembers who selflessly committed themselves to our nation will have access not only to registered apprenticeships, but also to programs like SMART HEROES, which provides seven weeks of accelerated sheet metal industry training—equivalent to the first year of an apprenticeship—to active-duty U.S. military members and recent veterans. This provides our military men and women with pathways to good, family-sustaining union careers and bolsters our nation’s workforce as we take on new projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. SMART is proud to offer this pathway to our servicemembers and we applaud Congress for passing this bill.” said SMART General President Joseph Sellers, Jr.

“The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA) greatly appreciates the essential role Rep. Norcross played as sponsor and outspoken advocate for the BRAVE Act as part of the FY23 Omnibus Appropriations Act. The veterans in the skilled HVAC labor workforce have become outstanding leaders in the construction industry just as they were in the armed services. They are respected from their first days on the job and quickly become role models and valued employees. We are also thankful to Rep. Norcross for the BRAVE Act for helping expand our complementary SMART-SMACNA veteran recruitment and training program, the SMART Heroes program,” said Executive Director for Government and Political affairs of SMACNA Stan Kolbe.

According to the Department of Labor, 92% of apprentices who complete a Registered Apprenticeship retain employment, with an average annual salary of $72,000. For comparison, the average starting salary for a graduate of a traditional four-year college is around $55,000 a year. Due to the record investments this Congress in the construction of clean energy technology, semiconductor factories, and infrastructure projects, registered apprenticeships in the construction trades will be in high demand.

Former servicemembers, with their exceptional work-ethic and leadership skills, are uniquely positioned to work in a trade.  There are an estimated 3 million veterans who served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, many of whom are considered “prime working age” or between the ages of 25-54. The BRAVE Act will provide servicemembers transitioning off active-duty better access to information about and access to registered apprenticeship programs.

More information on the BRAVE Act can be found here. The text of the FY23 omnibus is here. A full summary of the 12 regular appropriations bills is here. Explanatory statements are available here.