McGonagle, House pass bill to require apprenticeships in public construction

Bill seeks to increase the trades’ workforce In Massachusetts

Special to The Advocate

On January 28, 2026, Rep. Joe McGonagle, along with his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, passed (154-1) legislation — An Act relative to preparing apprentices in the commonwealth — that seeks to increase the state’s trades’ workforce by requiring the hiring of apprentices for all contracts awarded for public works projects over $10 million. Effective a year after signed into law, this bill would require projects to hire apprentices to work five percent of the total amount of hours worked, which would scale up to 10 percent in three years and 15 percent in four years. On January 29, the Massachusetts Senate referred the legislation to its Committee on Ways and Means.

“As someone who spent the majority of their career in the construction industry, I know the great importance of the trades and making these jobs accessible,” said McGonagle. “I am thrilled my colleagues in the House also recognize this investment and made this legislation a priority this session. Skilled workers are the backbone of our workforce and we must keep up with demand by training a new generation of workers. Thank you to Speaker Mariano and Chairs Decker and McMurtry for their hard work on this bill. This is a piece of legislation I am especially proud of.”

“Investing in the trades’ workforce will bolster workforce development, ensuring that the Commonwealth is able to meet the growing demands for new infrastructure projects. Apprenticeships can also lead to the creation of more union jobs and help to replace highly skilled workers who are aging out of the workforce,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “I want to thank Chair McMurtry and Chair Decker for their work on this legislation, as well as all my colleagues in the House for recognizing its importance.”

Public agencies must require, as a condition of awarding a construction contract over $10 million for any public works, that all construction managers, general contractors and subcontractors maintain or participate in an apprentice program, approved by the Division of Apprentice Standards (DAS) — which is part of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development — for each “Apprenticeable occupation” represented in their workforce. Construction managers, general contractors and subcontractors must register all apprentices with DAS and comply with applicable apprentice-to-journeyperson ratios established by a trades licensing board or the DAS.

The bill provides for an exemption upon a written determination by the public agency that, after good-faith solicitation, no qualified and responsible bidder maintaining or participating in an apprentice program is reasonably available for a specific trade or scope of work. Any construction manager, general contractor and subcontractor who fails to maintain or participate in an apprentice program and is not exempt cannot be deemed a responsible and eligible bidder.

The bill also requires prevailing wage payments by employers to include apprenticeship programs approved by DAS and operated in compliance with DAS. The bill establishes a Special Commission on Apprenticeships to study and make recommendations on the development, accessibility, quality, funding and utilization of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs across all industry sectors.