PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. James, John [R-MI-10] · R–MI
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Oct 5, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-09-24 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The Skilled JOBS Act would create a federal process for approving organizations that recognize industry apprenticeship programs. These programs would have to offer paid work, supervised learning, classroom instruction and an industry-recognized credential. Both these programs and federally registered apprenticeships would have to employ at least one fully skilled worker for every three apprentices. The Labor Secretary could allow fewer skilled workers after studying safety and costs. These are proposed requirements, not evidence of enacted law.
shall establish a process to recognize entities as standards recognition entities for purposes of recognizing industry-recognized apprenticeship programs under this Act.
(1) includes— (A) paid work; (B) on-the-job learning; (C) a mentorship component; (D) education and classroom instruction; (E) a written development plan and apprenticeship agreement; and (F) safety and supervision components; (2) provides, during participation in or upon completion of the apprenticeship, an industry-recognized credential
An apprenticeship registered under this Act and an industry-recognized apprenticeship program shall employ at least 1 journeyworker for every 3 apprentices participating in such apprenticeship or program.
The Secretary, after carrying out the study described in subsection (b), may vary the requirement under paragraph (1) by requiring fewer journeyworkers to be employed than is required under such paragraph.
Section 1 would name the bill the Skilled Job Opportunity & Business Success Act, or Skilled JOBS Act.
This Act may be cited as the Skilled Job Opportunity & Business Success Act or the Skilled JOBS Act.
Section 2 would amend the National Apprenticeship Act. Within one year after the Skilled JOBS Act's enactment, the Labor Secretary would have to establish the approval process for organizations that recognize apprenticeship programs, after consulting industry associations, higher education institutions, State, local and Tribal agencies, and other stakeholders the Secretary considers appropriate.
The Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the National Apprenticeship Act; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 63; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.), is amended
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Skilled JOBS Act, the Secretary, after consultation with private sector industry associations, institutions of higher education, State, local, and Tribal governmental agencies, and other stakeholders the Secretary determines appropriate, shall establish a process to recognize entities as standards recognition entities
The term Secretary means the Secretary of Labor.
The Secretary could not deny approval to a public or private organization that satisfactorily completes the process and demonstrates both the ability to ensure program standards are met and the capacity to oversee continuing compliance. Approval would operate through the Labor Department's Office of Apprenticeship.
The Secretary shall not deny recognition as a standards recognition entity to a private sector or public sector entity that meets the requirements of subparagraphs (B) and (C) of section 6(4) and satisfactorily completes the process established under paragraph (1).
(A) is recognized by the Secretary (acting through the Administrator of the Office of Apprenticeship of the Department of Labor) for purposes of recognizing apprenticeship programs as industry-recognized apprenticeship programs; (B) has a demonstrated ability to ensure an industry-recognized apprenticeship program meets the standards described in section 4(b); and (C) has the capacity to perform the oversight necessary to ensure the ongoing compliance on an industry-recognized apprenticeship program with such standards.
The Secretary would have to make the approval process flexible, with low administrative and reporting burdens for the recognizing organizations and apprenticeship programs.
The Secretary shall ensure that the recognition process for standards recognition entities established under paragraph (1) is a flexible process with low administrative and reporting burdens for the standards recognition entities and industry-recognized apprenticeship programs.
Recognizing organizations would have to set minimum program standards covering paid work, on-the-job learning, mentoring, classroom education, a written development plan and apprenticeship agreement, and safety and supervision. Programs would have to provide an industry-recognized credential during participation or upon completion and meet the required skilled-worker staffing ratio.
Each standards recognition entity shall establish standards for the industry-recognized apprenticeship programs recognized by the entity that, at a minimum, ensure that each industry-recognized apprenticeship program— (1) includes— (A) paid work; (B) on-the-job learning; (C) a mentorship component; (D) education and classroom instruction; (E) a written development plan and apprenticeship agreement; and (F) safety and supervision components; (2) provides, during participation in or upon completion of the apprenticeship, an industry-recognized credential; and (3) is carried out by an entity that satisfies the requirement under section 5(a)(1).
Both registered apprenticeships and industry-recognized programs would have to employ at least one journeyworker for every three participating apprentices. A journeyworker means a worker recognized within the industry as having mastered the occupation's required skills and competencies.
An apprenticeship registered under this Act and an industry-recognized apprenticeship program shall employ at least 1 journeyworker for every 3 apprentices participating in such apprenticeship or program.
The term journeyworker means a worker who has attained a level of skill, abilities, and competencies recognized within an industry as having mastered the skills and competencies required for the occupation.
The Secretary would have to study the staffing ratio's effects on apprentice safety and program costs, and whether it should change. The study deadline is written as one year after enactment of “this Act.” After conducting the study, the Secretary could require fewer journeyworkers; this provision authorizes a reduction, rather than an increase, in required staffing.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall carry out a study evaluating— (1) how the requirement described in subsection (a)(1) has affected the safety of apprentices participating in an apprenticeship registered under this Act or industry-recognized apprenticeship programs; (2) whether such requirement has had an effect on the cost of carrying out such apprenticeships or programs; and (3) whether such requirement should be modified.
The Secretary, after carrying out the study described in subsection (b), may vary the requirement under paragraph (1) by requiring fewer journeyworkers to be employed than is required under such paragraph.
An industry-recognized apprenticeship would have to be a high-quality program based on demonstrated competencies and recognized by an approved organization. Potential developers or providers include industry groups, corporations, nonprofits, higher education institutions, labor organizations, labor-management organizations and other entities the Secretary considers appropriate. Qualifying construction training programs could participate.
The term industry-recognized apprenticeship program— (A) means a high-quality, competency based apprenticeship program that is— (i) recognized by a standards recognition entity; and (ii) developed or delivered by an entity, such as a trade or industry group, corporation, nonprofit organization, institution of higher education, labor organization, or labor-management organization, or any other entity determined appropriate by the Secretary; and (B) may include a program that meets the requirements of subparagraph (A) and trains apprentices to perform construction activities.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated October 5, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Education and Workforce on September 24, 2026.
Source snapshot updated 2026-10-05T16:10:27Z. 2026-09-24: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. 2026-09-24: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-09-24. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not cover other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not establish the absence of earmarks in other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow carve-out, special exemption or preferential treatment was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not cover other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Oct 5, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI