Nevada State AFL-CIO: Apprenticeships Are NECESSARY to Nevada’s Recovery

Las Vegas, Nev. — Today marks the start of the 7th annual National Apprenticeship Week will take place November 15 to 21, 2021. NAW is a week to showcase the successes and value of Registered Apprenticeship as our state recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, re-building our economy, advancing racial and gender equity, and supporting underserved communities. 

To mark the week, Nevada State AFL-CIO Executive Secretary-Treasurer Susie Martinez released the below statement:

“For decades, apprenticeships have offered men and women entering the workforce both an opportunity to earn a quality wage while they learn a valuable skill and enjoy the benefits of union membership. Now, as our state recovers from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, these programs are more important than ever — providing an opportunity to Nevadans of all backgrounds to develop a crucial skill while earning a good income, and enjoying the union difference of better wages, better benefits, and a pathway to retiring with dignity. In Nevada, we have more than 6,000 apprentices across the state who have dedicated themselves to the learning of a valuable trade — and with President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, we have the opportunity to expand the number of men and women in these programs and welcome these new brothers and sisters into the union family, and begin to close racial and gender wage gaps across our state.

With registered apprenticeship programs, we can bring the union difference to fast-growing sectors like health care, child care, advanced manufacturing, information technology, and clean energy, allowing every Nevadan to learn the skills necessary for good, middle-class union jobs as our economy recovers. This National Apprenticeship Week, I want to thank all of our affiliates who participate in these programs and recognize the difference they make across our state and in the lives of workers everywhere."

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