ICYMI: Secretary Chavez-DeRemer celebrates National Skilled Trades Day, highlights apprenticeship programs in Denver

DENVER – U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer continued her America at Work Tour in Denver on May 7, meeting with leaders from the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters and the Southwest Mountain States Carpenters Training Fund at an apprentice training facility.

During Secretary Chavez-DeRemer’s meeting with leaders from both groups, she gained insight into WSRCC’s hands-on workforce development programs and learned more about the Southwest Carpenters Training Fund, which is responsible for training over 11,000 apprentices in 12 states. 

The Secretary then participated in a discussion with leaders from CareerWise USA, a national nonprofit dedicated to expanding youth apprenticeships, as well as Pinnacol Assurance and Intertech Plastics, two of the dozens of companies that partner with CareerWise to hire apprentices.

“As the Labor Department continues our efforts to meet President Trump’s goal of one million new active apprentices, it is essential to connect with the organizations that are successfully advancing workforce development in their communities,” Secretary Chavez-DeRemer said. “The partnerships I learned about demonstrate the importance of collaboration to build a strong, resilient workforce, which is especially important as this Administration advances America First policies to bring jobs back to the U.S. I’ll continue moving forward with commonsense policies to ensure every worker, regardless of their background, has the skills they need to succeed.”

Also on May 7, Secretary Chavez-DeRemer joined the Colorado Business Roundtable’s “Future of Work: Looking Around Corners” conference. The discussion focused on exploring where the future of work is headed, including in emerging industries like artificial intelligence. The group discussed President Trump’s Executive Order, “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future,” highlighting the important role apprenticeships play in developing a workforce that fits region-specific needs.

Colorado marked Secretary Chavez-DeRemer’s seventh stop on her nationwide America at Work listening tour, which she launched in early April. So far, she has brought together union leaders, business owners, community college educators, local elected officials, and others to fulfill her goal of bringing real-world feedback from American workers to the policymaking table in Washington.