S. 3364: Fast Track Healthcare Apprenticeships Act

This bill, titled the Fast Track Healthcare Apprenticeships Act, aims to make changes to the registration process for healthcare apprenticeships by amending the National Apprenticeship Act.

Key Provisions

Health Care Apprenticeship Registration

The bill establishes that:

• The Secretary of Labor will create a national apprenticeship system specifically for healthcare apprenticeships.
• Any application submitted to register a healthcare apprenticeship program must receive a decision within 45 days.
• If a decision is not made within the 45 days, the applicant must receive a written explanation for the delay and an estimated timeline for a final decision that should not exceed 90 days from the date of the explanation.

Definitions Related to Healthcare

Under this bill, the term health care field includes:

• Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations, as classified by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Healthcare support occupations, also classified by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Digitization of Apprenticeship Agreement Forms

The bill also requires the digitization of apprenticeship agreement forms associated with the national apprenticeship system. This includes:

• Employer agreement forms
• Disability disclosure forms

The goal is to modernize the registration and management of healthcare apprenticeship programs, making the process more efficient and accessible for applicants.

Impact on Apprenticeship Programs

The changes proposed in this bill are intended to streamline the application process for healthcare apprenticeship programs, potentially making it easier for employers to establish such programs. This may lead to an increase in the number of apprenticeship opportunities in the healthcare sector, which could benefit job seekers looking to enter this field.

Relevant Companies

• HCA Healthcare (HCA) - May see an increase in apprenticeship programs within their facilities, affecting workforce development.
• Universal Health Services (UHS) - Could benefit from increased access to a trained workforce through apprenticeships.
• HealthStream (HSTM) - May experience business growth by providing training and support services for new apprenticeship programs.