S.Amdt. 4662

SA 4662. Mrs. MURRAY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by her to the bill S. 2943, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2017 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle H of title V, add the following:

SEC. 597. MILITARY APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS.

(a) Promotion Required.--The Secretary of Defense, in
consultation with the Secretary of Labor, shall promote the
enhancement and implementation of military apprenticeship
programs that provide an opportunity for members of the Armed
Forces to improve their job skills and obtain certificates of
completion for such apprenticeship

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programs while such members are on active duty. The Secretary
of Defense also shall promote connections between military
training, education, and transition activities and registered
apprenticeship programs in order to improve employment
outcomes for veterans and help ready-to-hire employers
connect to this skilled workforce.
(b) Voluntary Goals.--In carrying out subsection (a), the
Secretary of Defense shall establish voluntary goals for each
Armed Force relating to the following:
(1) The number of members participating in activities
relating to military apprenticeships prior to separation from
active duty.
(2) The establishment of partnerships with apprenticeship
programs, including registered apprenticeship programs,
through the United Services Military Apprenticeship Program,
Skill Bridge programs, the Transition Assistance Program,
tuition assistance programs, and other appropriate
mechanisms.
(3) The number of veterans entering apprenticeship
programs, including registered apprenticeship programs, upon
separation from active duty.
(c) Biennial Report.--The Secretary of Defense shall submit
to the appropriate committees of the Congress on a biennial
basis a report describing the activities undertaken pursuant
to this section, including the progress in achieving the
voluntary goals established under subsection (b).
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