Yellowhammer Times

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) participated in a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) hearing to discuss registered apprenticeship programs. The session included testimony from Dr. Latitia McCane of The Apprentice School, Gardner Carrick of The Manufacturing Institute, and Josh Laney of the Competency Based Education Network.

Senator Tuberville highlighted Alabama’s nurse apprenticeship program and questioned Josh Laney about its success. Tuberville said, “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning, everybody. What an important hearing this is. Good morning, Mr. Laney. How are you doing? […] Mr. Laney, your apprenticeship program for nurses in Alabama is uniquely successful. And we’re at a national security risk now with our nurses, being a shortage. How come it’s so unique?”

Laney responded by emphasizing the employer-driven approach: “Thank you for the question. I think the program in Alabama is unique mainly because it was built starting with the needs of the employers. We spoke with our Alabama Hospital Association, Alabama Nursing Home Association... They just don’t have enough people at the bedside to provide the service that they want to provide.” He also credited collaboration with community colleges and a progressive state board of nursing for creating a nurse apprentice license that clearly defines job roles.

Laney added that employer investment is key: “We always say that apprenticeship is an employer’s investment in their people... So, we have the only statewide model now with over a thousand nursing apprentices, 87 employers, 28 colleges and universities.”

Tuberville asked if most employers participate financially in training apprenticeships; Laney confirmed: “Yes, sir. Every employer in Alabama has skin in the game... If there’s a bill left over [after financial aid], it goes to the employers... They see the value in it.”

Turning to federal support for community college system apprenticeships, Tuberville asked Dr. McCane what could be done at that level to help these programs grow. McCane replied: “Absolutely... we need within community colleges [are] intermediaries to be able to go out and bring the businesses where they’re able to work with the community colleges... That’s done through giving them those intermediaries to work with them.”

On why some employers choose not to register their apprenticeship programs federally despite successes like FAME students’ participation rates, Tuberville questioned Gardner Carrick who explained: “So when you look at the registered apprenticeship model it is designed with a lot of compliance elements to it... Manufacturers are able to design a program like FAME where they can work directly with community colleges... And we don’t need the registered apprenticeship system in order to do that.” Carrick noted that incentives at state levels—such as those offered by North Carolina—can make registration more attractive than federal options.

Senator Tuberville serves on several Senate committees including Armed Services; Agriculture; Veterans’ Affairs; HELP; and Aging.