WHEREAS, 2026 marks the 89th Anniversary of the National Apprenticeship Act; and

WHEREAS, National Apprenticeship Week is celebrating its 12th year of raising awareness of the vital role that Registered Apprenticeships play in providing opportunities to the people of Maine by allowing apprentices to earn while they learn and preparing a pathway to high paying high-quality careers and the ability to advance in those careers; and

WHEREAS, Registered Apprenticeship and Certified Pre-apprenticeship programs enable employers across sectors, including early childhood education and childcare, healthcare, construction, and manufacturing, to develop and train their future workforce while offering career seekers affordable paths to secure high-paying jobs; and

WHEREAS, Registered Apprenticeship programs are uniquely able to meet the changing demands of Maine’s economy and provide a path for all qualified individuals, including women, youth, people of color, rural communities, justice-involved individuals and individuals with disabilities, to become apprentices and contribute to Maine’s industries; and

WHEREAS, Registered Apprenticeship programs are industry-driven, high-quality career pathways that enable employers to develop and train their future workforce, and individuals can obtain paid work experience with a mentor, receive progressive wage increases, relevant instruction, and earn a Maine credential or associate degree; and

WHEREAS, the State of Maine recognizes that Registered Apprenticeship, a proven and industry-driven training model, is a key strategy to improving job quality, and creating access to good-paying, community sustaining jobs for all, starting with youth and young adults, while addressing pressing workforce challenges such as increasing the capacity of childcare programs to support working parents, strengthening our educator workforce in schools, rebuilding our state’s infrastructure, addressing critical supply chain demands, supporting a clean energy workforce, modernizing our manufacturing workforce, and responding to our states healthcare needs;

NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that I, Janet T. Mills, Governor of the State of Maine, do hereby proclaim the week of April 27-May 1, 2026 as

National Apprenticeship Week

throughout the State of Maine, and I urge all citizens to recognize this observance.

In testimony whereof, I have caused the Great Seal of the State to be hereunto affixed GIVEN under my hand at Augusta this thirteenth day of April Two Thousand Twenty-Six