WASHINGTON, D.C. —  The U.S. Department of Labor issued guidance on the Registered Apprenticeship system designed to improve flexibility and reduce burdens for 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.  

Issued by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the guidance gives apprenticeship program sponsors clearer direction on how to design Registered Apprenticeship programs that fit their workforce’s needs, outlines the roles and functions of state apprenticeship agencies and councils, and clarifies how to determine apprenticeship completion rates. ETA’s Office of Apprenticeship also committed to making final apprenticeship determinations within 30 days of receiving registrations.

The agency also announced the launch of an online portal featuring data on apprenticeship program completion rates and a webpage highlighting apprenticeship registration timelines and transparency on registration performance.  

“We're removing the administrative roadblocks that have prevented Registered Apprenticeship from scaling to meet demand,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “As we work toward President Trump's goal of 1 million active apprentices, the Department of Labor's commitment to faster decisions, clearer standards, and greater flexibility will enable employers across all industries to launch high-quality Registered Apprenticeship programs and help more Americans access high-paying careers.”

ETA issued the following Registered Apprenticeship guidance:

• 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.
• Bulletin 2026-35: Solidifies the Office of Apprenticeship’s commitment to making apprenticeship program registration determinations within 30 days and announces launch of online resource that will promote transparency on registration performance and ensure ETA meets its 30-day program determination commitment.  

By providing the clarity and streamlined processes needed to expand Registered Apprenticeship access, today’s guidance advances President Trump's ambitious goal of reaching and exceeding 1 million active apprentices set out in Executive Order, Preparing Americans for the High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future.

Associated Builders and Contractors issued the following statement from its vice president of government affairs, Kristen Swearingen, on the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration announcing four new guidance documents seeking to improve the implementation of registered apprenticeship programs, or RAPS:

“ABC strongly supports the DOL’s bold new approach to addressing longstanding concerns with registered apprenticeship programs by improving flexibility for program sponsors and employers, as well as addressing state policies that impair worker access to these high-quality training programs. These policies align with our consistent advocacy for simplification of unnecessarily burdensome apprenticeship regulations, and ABC thanks the DOL for taking steps to implement our recommendations.

“ABC champions RAPs as one piece of an all-of-the-above solution to workforce development needs to solve the construction industry’s demand, including a shortage of 349,000 workers in 2026 alone. ABC chapters offer more than 450 RAPs in more than 20 different occupations across America.

“Continuing to make improvements to the RAP system will be critical to achieving President Donald Trump’s ambitious and timely goal of achieving 1 million new active apprentices, as laid out in Executive Order 14278 and America’s Talent Strategy. ABC looks forward to continuing to work with President Trump’s administration on this important issue.”