June 15 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Thursday is scheduled to speak about his administration's "Apprenticeship and Workforce of Tomorrow" initiative seeking to establish millions of apprenticeships.
Apprenticeships combine on-the-job experience with paid classroom instruction that can last from two to six years. Trump wants apprenticeships to increase by 10 times to 5 million under his administration.
Trump will speak about the initiative from the White House at 11 a.m.
Though the U.S. government has regulated and certified apprenticeships since 1937, former President Barack Obama's administration actively promoted the practice.
Obama's budget in 2016 appropriated $90 million for apprenticeships and Congress under Trump's administration is expected to appropriate $95 million for 2017, CNBC reported. Most expenses from apprenticeships are incurred by the employers.
Trump's administration is a proponent of a greater emphasis on workforce skills. Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta this week told reporters during a conference call that nine of 10 graduates of apprenticeship programs taught in the nation's community colleges find work immediately after graduation at average starting salaries of $60,000 per year.
