; (B) the estimated social benefits of registered apprenticeship programs, including additional productivity of apprentices and the reduction in governmental expenditures as a result of reduced use of unemployment compensation and public assistance, exceeded the costs of the programs by more than $49,000 per program; and (C) the tax return on every Federal Government dollar invested in registered apprenticeship programs was $27. (b) Purposes The purposes of this Act are— (1) to increase the number of highly skilled workers in the United States, particularly in in-demand industry sectors and occupations; (2) to increase the attainment of recognized postsecondary credentials by participants; (3) to increase awareness about the value of the registered apprenticeship program model as an effective earn-and-learn model for students, workers, and employers; (4) to support the development and expansion of registered apprenticeship programs with employers, joint labor-management organizations, trade and professional associations, and other sponsors, that offer jobs that lead to economic self-sufficiency; (5) to support the development and expansion of effective pre-apprenticeship programs that lead to success in a registered apprenticeship program; (6) to support a closer alignment between registered apprenticeship programs, the workforce development systems, career and technical education providers, and postsecondary educational institutions, including institutions of higher education; (7) to support innovative models of effective work-based learning