President Donald Trump, a longtime fan of apprenticeship programs, now hopes to convince America’s corporate and education leaders to embrace the model.

Trump launched his apprenticeship push this week at a series of events that began with a Monday Cabinet meeting, during which he predicted apprenticeships would soon be a “big, big factor” in U.S. education. On Tuesday, the president toured a technical college in Wisconsin that trains welders and machinists. The White House canceled Wednesday’s event after the shooting attack on Republican lawmakers, but Trump is scheduled to host a roundtable discussion with state governors Thursday.

Although the president has a special connection to the on-the-job training idea through his reality TV program The Apprentice, he’s not the first to urge Americans to start using it. As student debt ballooned, especially after the 2008 recession, education experts advocated for less college and more vocational training programs to boost employment and earnings. Welders, after all, make more than restaurant servers with English degrees.

Experts often point to European countries, especially Germany, which have robust apprenticeship programs that start as early as high school. But apprenticeships haven’t gained much traction in the United States. In 2016, only 0.35 percent of U.S. jobs came through active apprenticeships. Even so, U.S. Department of Labor statistics show 9 out of 10 Americans who finish apprenticeship programs get jobs with an average starting salary of $60,000.

While many conservative analysts say more specific job training would help the economy, and workers, they want more details on Trump’s plan before getting behind it. Andy Smarick at the American Enterprise Institute noted apprenticeships have downsides, with Cost topping the list. Employers might hesitate to invest in training programs unless they have a guarantee workers will stick around to ensure a return on that investment. Government-backed programs likely would struggle to respond quickly to changing job-market needs, creating a risk of glutting the market with workers unable to find jobs.

One possible option: Increase tax incentives for companies who give workers funds to improve job skills. Just 3 percent of federal education incentives go to tax benefits for employee education, according to Smarick. The current federal budget includes $90 million for apprenticeship programs, but Trump’s proposed spending plan didn’t increase that number.

So what does the chief apprentice advocate have in mind? Analysts can only take a page from the president’s reality TV playbook: Tune in next week to find out.

Chalk up a win for campus free speech

A rural Pennsylvania university has agreed to revise its sidewalk “chalking” policy after the Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) sent a letter in March reminding administrators about a constitutionally protected activity known as free speech.

For two days in a row, officials at Kutztown University washed away pro-life messages chalked by the local chapter of Students for Life of America. After getting the ADF letter, the school issued a statement that chalked up the sidewalk censorship to a misunderstanding: “When the university administration became aware of the situation, the group was immediately informed that it had every right to chalk its messages on our campus.”

But administrators did agree to revise the school’s chalking policy by removing a section requiring messages to be “educational or informative in nature” and banning those with “a clear and present potential hazard of interfering with the process of the university.”

Many colleges allow student groups to use sidewalk chalk to advertise events or advocate for their beliefs. According to Supreme Court precedent (and the U.S. Constitution), rules governing free speech forums must apply equally to all groups. —L.J.

Not just for college students

The Constitution’s free speech protections don’t just apply to college students. Another team of Christian lawyers, this time from First Liberty Institute, is reminding a Pennsylvania public school district it cannot censor students asked to speak during graduation ceremonies. Earlier this year, the Beaver High School senior class president asked Moriah Bridges to give the closing remarks at the school’s commencement. When Bridges submitted her planned speech in writing to the Beaver Areas School District, Superintendent Carrie Rowe demanded she remove all religious references. Rowe told Bridges her comments could not include references to her faith and insisted she could not “recite a prayer that excludes other religions.” Bridges modified her speech for the June 2 ceremony but wants to make sure other students don’t face similar censorship. First Liberty is asking the school district to acknowledge its error and come up with a process for protecting students’ free speech and religious liberty in the future. —L.J.

White House confirms Jerry Falwell’s task force claim

The White House has finally confirmed that Jerry Falwell Jr. will be part of a higher education task force—five months after the Liberty University president announced the appointment. No one from the Trump administration would confirm the task force at the time, but an official told The Chronicle of Higher Education on Sunday the committee definitely will happen. Late last week Falwell told The Chronicle the president’s team had asked him to vet a list of 15 other college presidents who would participate. Beyond confirming the committee’s existence, administration officials have offered no information on what it will be tasked to address. Falwell has said the group will review higher education regulations. —L.J.

Summertime screen time

One principal in Washington, D.C., has issued a tough summer break challenge to students: Spend one day a week with no screen time and receive $100. The challenge is open to 160 rising eighth- and ninth-graders at Washington Latin Public Charter School, which teaches a classical curriculum. Principal Diana Smith could be out $16,000 if all of them accept, but she’s not banking on losing that much money. The students must get two adults to certify that they spent a total of 11 days without watching television, looking at their phones, or playing on a computer or tablet. Smith said she doesn’t expect more than 50 students to pass the test. —L.J