President Biden Rescinds Trump's Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program (IRAP)

 

DAILY DIVE

Feb.​ 23,​ 2021 | Today's news and insights for HR leaders

Biden rescinds Trump-era industry apprenticeship program

Dive Brief:

• The White House has ended the Trump administration's Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program (IRAP). President Joe Biden's Feb. 17 executive order rescinded former President Donald Trump's 2017 order calling for the launch of the IRAP, which intended to move much of the supervision of such workforce initiatives to industry groups. The Biden administration was "concerned that the IRAP program creates a redundant apprenticeship program, with duplicate and often inferior systems that compete with the highly successful and longstanding Registered Apprenticeship Program," according to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). 
• The acceptance and review of new or pending applications for Standards Recognition Entities (SREs) in IRAP have been suspended; however, this will have no impact on the 27 SREs currently approved, according to DOL. All IRAPs recognized by an SRE will continue to perform their functions, and previously approved SREs may also continue to recognize additional IRAPs, the agency said.
• Biden's executive order also reinstated the National Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships to address the "clear need to engage with leaders and practitioners from industry, labor, education, workforce and community organizations" as well as modernize, streamline and diversify the registered apprenticeship model, DOL said in the announcement. The advisory committee will focus on developing recommendations on how the Registered Apprenticeship Program can meet the current and future needs of the U.S. workforce, according to DOL.

Dive Insight:

Trump's executive order on IRAP promoted the development of apprenticeship programs by third parties such as trade and industry groups, corporations, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, unions and joint labor-management organizations. 

Under the measure, employers and industry groups had leeway in designing their federal apprenticeship programs without much oversight from the government. For example, appointed organizations or SREs weren't required to report to the DOL information on a program's success rate, according to Bloomberg Law. It wasn't until March 2020 that the DOL published a final rule updating the evaluation process of IRAPs. Under the rule, the DOL could recognize and oversee organizations, referred to as SREs, that work with companies and various entities to establish and monitor apprenticeship programs. 

But IRAP caused controversy as House Democrats were concerned about its effects on the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP), possibly reducing funding for RAPs and the possibility of putting safety and quality standards for workers at risk. IRAP's shortcomings included failure to require the "wage progression that reflects increasing apprentice skills" and not having standardized training rigor, according to the Feb. 17 statement by the White House. In 2019, a national network of organizations dedicated to expanding apprenticeship programs, wrote in a public statement voicing concern that "the creation of a parallel system of Industry Programs may further fragment our national apprenticeship system and introduce programs of widely varying quality."

Some viewed IRAPs as beneficial. They are an "important step in opening up more nontraditional and affordable education opportunities," Rachel Greszler, senior policy analyst at Washington-based conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, told the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) in September 2020. DOL announced the first group of SREs Sept. 23, according to SHRM.

In addition to reinstating the National Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships, Biden has endorsed Congressman Bobby Scott's (D-VA) bipartisan National Apprenticeship Act of 2021, which will "create and expand registered apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship programs," according to the White House. The bill is said to ensure the programs create a diverse workforce by supporting industry and equity intermediaries in recruitment and fostering partnerships between apprenticeship programs and community colleges, the announcement said. 

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NY Senators Jim Tedesco and Daphne Jordan Initiate Legislation To Create Criminal Penalties For Violating NY's Open Government and Freedom of Information Law

Senator Jim Tedesco and Senator Daphne Jordan

In New York State, there does not seem to be anyone who believes that Governor Andrew Cuomo acted in good faith when he covered up nursing home deaths. Senators Tedesco and jordan believe such acts deserve criminal penalties. 

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Tedisco & Jordan: “Cuomo Lied and New Yorkers Paid and Died”

 

In light of Cuomo’s nursing home cover-up, Senators Tedisco and Jordan call for new legislation to strengthen New York’s open government/Freedom of Information Law and hold the Gov. and senior officials accountable when they impede public’s right to know

 

As Governor Andrew Cuomo and his Administration face mounting questions over a cover-up of data related to the deaths of 15,000 nursing home residents and a related court decision on its violation of open government law which put taxpayers on the hook to pay legal fees, Senator Jim Tedisco (R,C-Glenville) and Senator Daphne Jordan (R,C-Halfmoon) today announced new legislation they are authoring to create a criminal penalty for violating New York’s open government and Freedom of Information Law (FOIL).

 

Senator Tedisco and Senator Jordan’s new legislation would make it a criminal penalty and hold the Governor or his senior-level appointed decision makers personally liable to pay any judgments and fines and face potential jail time related to knowingly violating FOIL requests and the open government law in refusing to disclose public information. This legislation would eliminate indemnification for the Governor and senior state officials for violating the open government law. It also would prohibit the use of campaign finance dollars from paying the court-ordered fines.

 

Senator Tedisco and the Empire Center won a lawsuit and FOIL request to obtain data from the Cuomo Administration related to the deaths of nursing home residents who were transferred to hospitals last year and died from the coronavirus. In her ruling on the Empire Center and Tedisco’s lawsuit, New York State Supreme Court Justice Kimberly A. O’Connor ordered the Administration to pay the Empire Center’s legal fees for the case. Unfortunately, under current law, those costs will be paid by taxpayers and not at personal cost to the Governor, his senior deputy Melissa DeRosa, Health Department Commissioner Howard Zucker or any other senior official found derelict in their duties and responsible for the cover-up and violation of the open government law. Tedisco and Jordan’s bill would change that and make public officials personally liable for such stonewalling and violation and face potential jail time.

 

“Governor Cuomo and his senior staff lied about the nursing homes and New Yorkers have paid and died. Justice Kimberly O’Connor should have been able to put the judgment and onus of paying legal fees and any other fines on the Governor and his senior staff and not taxpayers. Making taxpayers pay for Cuomo or any other governor’s dereliction of duty throws salt into the wound they may create through lies and deception. This devastating loss of New Yorkers in our nursing homes and ensuing cover-up would be deemed a criminal act,” said Senator Jim Tedisco.

 

“Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward has warned of secret government saying that ‘democracies die in darkness.’ Secrecy and a lack of respect for open government laws has been a hallmark of Cuomo’s reign. I’ve dealt with his Administration’s stonewalling previous to the nursing home issue in my efforts to FOIL for information related to the collapse of the St. Clare’s Hospital Pension Fund. There have been many stories chronicled in the media about FOIL requests to the Cuomo Administration that have been delayed months and even years. This is public information and people have a right to know what their government is doing on their behalf. No Governor or senior appointee should ever again be able to hide public information like the data related to the deaths of 15,000 nursing home residents without facing criminal penalties,” said Senator Tedisco.

 

“The Cuomo cover-up is more than just another Albany scandal — it’s a potentially massive crime as his administration, by their own admission, deliberately withheld pertinent information from federal and state authorities about the deaths of 15,000 of our fellow New Yorkers. It’s abundantly clear that in addition to writing a book, the Governor and his team were busy cooking the books, desperately trying to hide his administration’s complicity and culpability in the nation’s worst nursing home disaster during the COVID-19 pandemic. Any state official — whether it’s Governor Cuomo, Health Commissioner Zucker, Secretary Melissa DeRosa, or anyone else — who knowingly violates FOIL requests and our open government law by refusing to disclose public information should face jail time. We also need to remove their indemnification to ensure that taxpayers aren’t paying the legal bills for an official’s malfeasance and gross dereliction of duty. Now, more than ever, there must be a thorough, independent investigation into this growing scandal so families can finally learn the truth and we can ensure that such a tragedy never happens again,” Senator Daphne Jordan said.

 

National Nonprofit Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) Awards Grants to 56 Farms in 33 States

 

 

FOOD ANIMAL CONCERNS TRUST

3525 W. Peterson Ave.

STE. #213

Chicago, Illinois 60659

For Immediate Release:

Contact: Sean Crowley, 202-495-8520, seancrowley57@gmail.com

Larissa McKenna, Humane Farming Program Director, Food Animal Concerns Trust, (773) 525-4952, lmckenna@foodanimalconcerns.org

Harry Rhodes, Exec. Dir., Food Animal Concerns Trust, (773) 525-4952, hrhodes@foodanimalconcerns.org 

National Nonprofit Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) Awards Grants to 56 Farms in 33 States

Grants boost animal welfare, environmental health, and farmer livelihoods

(Chicago, IL – Feb. 23, 2021) Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT), a national nonprofit organization that works to ensure that all food-producing animals are raised in a humane and healthy manner, recently awarded more than $130,000 in Fund-a-Farmer Grants to a diverse slate of 56 livestock farmers and ranchers located across the country. The grants range from $1,000 to $2,500 and were awarded for projects that improve farm animal welfare and increase the capacity of humane farmers. In solidarity with the movement to address racial inequity in agriculture, half of the grants were made to farmers who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Color.

Of the 56 total grants, FACT awarded 19 grants to farmers who are seeking to attain or who already hold one of three animal welfare certifications (Certified Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) by A Greener World, Certified Humane, or Global Animal Partnership (GAP) Animal Welfare Certified), and 37 grants to farmers who wish to improve or expand access to pasture for their animals. As in past years, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA) is again generously underwriting the grants to farmers pursuing or holding one of the above animal welfare certifications. Since 2012, FACT has cumulatively awarded 257 grants totaling over $590,000 to farmers across 44 states, directly benefiting more than 136,000 animals.

“The ASPCA is proud to fund our fourth year of FACT grants to support higher-welfare farmers leading the way toward a more humane, equitable food system, many of whom are often overlooked by agricultural funding streams,” said Kara Shannon, senior manager of Farm Animal Welfare at the ASPCA. “After a particularly challenging year for farmers amid the COVID-19 crisis, it’s encouraging to see the growth of these farms who continued to meet the ever increasing demand for more humane and welfare-certified food in their local communities throughout the pandemic.”

A recent 2021 survey of past grant recipients found that the grants have produced a wide range of long-term benefits. Overall, 98 percent of farmers reported that their FACT-funded projects improved animal welfare, 92 percent experienced a positive environmental impact, and 88 percent found that the grant improved their farm’s financial viability by decreasing expenses, increasing customers and visibility, and ultimately improving net profits. Individual farmers report that their FACT-funded projects have led to an increase in native species, better soil fertility, healthier animals, and a higher quality of life on their operations.

“The ongoing pandemic has exposed both the fragility of the factory food system and the resilience of local, sustainable farms,” said Larissa McKenna, FACT’s Humane Farming Program Director. “For the last nine years, and this year in particular, FACT’s Fund-a-Farmer Grants have provided a needed financial boost for these farmers so that they may continue to do what they do best – care for their animals and provide nourishing, humanely-raised food for people in their communities.”

Ron Simmons, President and Founder of Master Blend Family Farms in Kenansville, NC, received a grant this year to purchase software to track the productivity of his breeding herd in order to increase hog production. The farm has been Certified Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World since 2013. Ron raises his animals outdoors on well-managed pasture and in wooded areas.

“We are strong believers in the idea that pasture-based management is better for the ecosystem and ultimately healthier for the consumer. Our funded project will allow us to expand our breeding herd and improve our ability to meet the growing demand for our value-added pork products,” Simmons said.

The Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma in Miami, OK received a grant to install 120 acres of perimeter fencing to expand and improve quality of pasture for its herd of beef cattle. The project will protect the animals and build pasture health and fertility, as well as help the Tribe take a crucial step towards food sovereignty and self-sustainability.

“Food sovereignty is important to the Peoria Tribe because we are in a food desert location. With COVID-19 taking a huge toll on our Tribal Citizens and community, the Tribe is taking actions to provide locally-raised meat to close the gap between farm to table in a world crisis. This project allows the Peoria Tribe to utilize valuable land and turn it into a positive outcome for many in need while expanding our production figures,” said Brittany Norris, grant writer for Peoria Tribe.

Megan Denton, owner/operator of Able Farms in Portland, OR, received a grant to build mobile poultry tractors and install fencing for her flocks of broiler chickens, laying hens, and turkeys living on pasture.

“Mobility is key here in the Pacific Northwest with the unsteady climate. This project will enable my operation to implement a year round pasture system suitable for poultry while safely and humanely housing my flocks. The birds will have daily access to fresh food and foraging ground, which creates a healthier flock and soil via fertilization for future pastures,” Denton said.

2021 Fund-a-Farmer Grants for farmers seeking or holding animal welfare certification:

 

B Plus Ranch-Livestock in Kamuela, HI, $2,500 Bijou Land & Cattle in Wiggins, CO, $2,500 Black Tansy Farm in Springfield, OR, $2,498 Blue Pepper Farm LLC in Jay, NY, $2,500 BOTL Farm in Ashford, CT, $2,500 Downey Ranch in Moorcroft, WY, $2,500 Goat Money Farm in Deland, FL, $2,500 Local Color Farm & Fiber in Puyallup, WA, $2,500 Dd Master Blend Family Farms in Kenansville, NC, $1,000 Modern Heritage Farm in Gandeeville, WV $2,500 North Country Creamery in Keeseville, NY, $2,500 Ponderosa Ranch in Jacksonville, TX, $2,500 Red Bird Acres in Corvallis, OR, $2,200 Red Boat Farm in Fort Payne, AL, $2,000 Red Ledge Farm in North Franklin, CT, $2,500 Sweet Seasons Farm in Valley Head, AL, $2,100 The Flock Farm in Anna, IL, $2,500 Three Brothers Farm, Oconomowoc, WI, $2,500 Verdant Hollow Farms in Buchanan, MI, $2,500 2021 Fund-a-Farmer Grants for pasture improvement projects: 360 Heritage Farms in Remsen, IA, $2,500 Able Farms in Portland, OR, $2,500 Apis Farms in West Point, IA, $2,500 BarWD Ranch in Wellfleet, NE, $2,500 Bedrock Farm in St. Albans, VT, $1,825  Chaney Hill Farm in Dunstable, MA, $2,399.50 Cherokee Valley Bison Ranch in Thornville, OH, $2,192 Clarkridge Farm in Goffstown, NH, $1,633 Cloverbud Ranch in Portsmouth, RI, $1,137.50 E & F Farm in Safford, AL, $2,500 Fallen Aspen Farm in Volant, PA, $2,140 Greenlite Apiary in Alpine, AL, $2,500 Halal-N-Tayyib Farms in Macon, GA, $2,500 High Hog Farm in Grayson, GA, $2,500 Knight Family Farm in Garland, ME, $2,500 Kyle Rustic Farm in Philadelphia, TN, $2,500 Lee Hemp Farm in Burlington, WI, $1,700 Martin Woods Farm in Starks, ME, $2,210 McLeod's Flying Bull Bison Ranch in Big Timber, MT, $2,500 Melanated Farmacy in Woodleaf, NC, $2,500 Muse 3 Farm LLC in Greensburg, LA, $2,500 Padilla Ranch in Vernon, TX, $2,500 Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma in Miami, OK, $2,500 Prairie Farmstead in Sherman, TX, $2,239 Purpose Driven Family Farm, Parkton, NC, $2,500 RanchitoAlegre in Ignacio, CO, $2,500 Red Rooster Farm in Booneville, AR, $2,500 Running Wild Farm in New Portland, ME, $2,500 SEJ Farm in Thermopolis, WY, $2,500 Sorensen Ranch in Bradford, AR, $2,500 Southern Shepherd Farms Inc. in Efland, NC, $2,500 Spring Rise Dairy in Verndale, MN, $1,000 Squier Family Farm in Tinmouth, VT, $2,500 Sutton Farms in Butler, PA $2,500 Tanque Ranch LLC in Safford, AZ, $2,500 Triple P Angus Farm in Mt. Olivet, KY, $2,500 Willow Way Farm in Kerrick, MN, $2,500 A summary of each of the funded projects is available at foodanimalconcernstrust.org/funded-projects. For more information on FACT’s Fund-a-Farmer Grants and the other services we provide to family farmers, please visit foodanimalconcernstrust.org/farmer/. In addition to the grants, FACT also offers free webinars, conference scholarships, and a mentorship program for livestock and poultry farmers who wish to improve the welfare of their farm animals. Please contact Larissa McKenna, Humane Farming Program Director, at (773) 525-4952 or lmckenna@foodanimalconcerns.org with questions about any of FACT’s farmer services.   # # # FACT’s vision is that all food-producing animals will be raised in a humane and healthy manner, and that everyone will have access to safe and humanely-produced food. We accomplish this by supporting humane farmers, promoting policies that make foods from animals safe and healthy to eat, and helping consumers make informed food choices. Learn more at www.foodanimalconcernstrust.org.