WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. Ron Wyden are asking the Trump administration to add the topic of individuals with disabilities to discussions on promoting apprenticeships. The president in June established a task force on apprenticeship expansion to “identify and provide a report on strategies and proposals to promote apprenticeships.”
“We believe that enhanced support for apprenticeship programs, coupled with continued accountability and oversight over such programs, can put more Americans on a path towards upward mobility. ... Moving forward, we are hopeful that this initiative improves access to high quality apprenticeship programs for the future workforce of our nation, including those with disabilities,” Grassley and Wyden wrote to Trump.
Grassley and Wyden wrote that the unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities is high, yet many such individuals want jobs and have been encouraged through policies such as the Individuals with Disability Education Act to live as productively and independently as possible. The unemployment data “clearly shows the disconnect between the goal of employment for people with disabilities and reality,” the senators wrote.
Grassley and Wyden have a long-standing interest in increasing opportunities for individuals with disabilities such as promoting competitive employment.
The Grassley-Wyden letter is available here.
