Contributed by: Preservation Action
Organization: Preservation Action
Dated Posted: April 21, 2026
Website: Visit External Site

This week, Preservation Action submitted written testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies in support of FY27 appropriations for the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration program. Specifically, Preservation Action supported $335 million for the Registered Apprenticeship program and $1.76 billion for Job Corps with the explicit and express purpose of supporting historic trades apprenticeship and job developments. As the historic preservation field knows, demand for skilled workers in the historic trades is tremendous but there is a dearth of trained tradespeople in the U.S. who can meet that demand.

According to a 2022 study, over 40% of buildings in the United States are over 50 years old and the rehabilitation of existing buildings represents $85 billion in investment each year. This makes up 19% of the building construction industry, employing more than 1.3 million workers. We rely on a skilled workforce in the traditional building trades to rehabilitate the millions of older buildings in the U.S.

In our testimony we highlighted the work of the Campaign for Historic Trades to add historic trades to the national framework of Registered Apprenticeships. We also highlighted the great work organizations like HistoriCorps does in providing crucial opportunities for students to engage in hands-on preservation projects at historic sites.

Check out our testimony to learn more: https://preservationaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DOL_Preservation-Action-FY27-House-Appropriations-Testimony-Final.pdf