GOP state attorneys push back on Biden’s proposed diversity rules for apprenticeship programs

By DAVID A. LIEB
Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Republican attorneys general in two dozen states are pushing back against a proposed Biden administration rule that seeks to expand diversity in apprenticeship programs. The proposed rule change would set new standards for registered apprenticeships that provide paid on-the-job training and education for skilled workers. The Republican attorneys general contend a requirement to recruit and hire people from “underserved communities” could amount to race-based discrimination. The proposal also would require state apprenticeship agencies to have plans for diversity, equity and inclusion. That could run counter to some new state laws prohibiting such initiatives in government and education.