Is it too early to say we told you so? The Obama administration claims its blacklisting rule is about ensuring federal contractors deliver “fair pay and safe workplaces.” But since there has long been a process in place to hold federal contractors accountable, there has always been more than meets the eye with this expansive bureaucratic boondoggle. As House Education and the Workforce Committee l... Read more »
From electrical engineering to aeronautical re-manufacturing, career and technical education (CTE) plays an important role in helping students explore and pursue a career path in a wide variety of fields. Alex Wolff’s story is just one example. While attending school in Santa Barbara, California, Alex enrolled in the Santa Barbara County Regional Occupational Program/CTE Electronic Technology cour... Read more »
Meet Rob Griffin. When Rob began school at Dalton High in Whitfield County, Georgia, he became interested in a series of engineering courses the school offered as an elective. It was these courses that would start Rob on the path to a fulfilling and successful career. Like many career and technical education (CTE) programs, the drafting and engineering coursework Rob took at Dalton helped him gain... Read more »
Policymakers across the country—and on both sides of the aisle—have long recognized the critical role career and technical education (CTE) plays in helping prepare students for future success. In February 2015, one of those policymakers, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, appeared before the committee and discussed how the Hoosier State was “offering new pathways to success for all of Indiana’s students... Read more »
One year ago, bureaucrats at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) handed a gift to Big Labor that will upend a business model that's paved the way to the American Dream for countless individuals. The NLRB’s partisan decision in Browning-Ferris Industries overturned decades of labor policy, and it was issued despite concerns voiced by small business owners across the country. Clint Ehlers, own... Read more »
The opportunity for hardworking men and women to take a risk, start their own business, and climb the economic ladder is an essential part of the American Dream. Unfortunately, that dream is slipping out of reach for many Americans. With small business creation at a 22 year low and economic growth hovering around an anemic 1 percent, our country desperately needs policies that empower entrepreneur... Read more »
July 29, 2014: That’s the day the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) escalated its attack on America’s small businesses and the workers they employ. That’s right, two years ago today, NLRB General Counsel Richard Griffin determined McDonald’s Inc. and certain franchisees were “joint employers.” His unprecedented decision would advance a broader effort to overturn decades of settled labor polic... Read more »
While the American economy struggles through an anemic recovery, some in the manufacturing sector are dealing with another struggle: a shortage of high-skilled workers to fill the jobs that are available. This issue, commonly referred to as the “skills gap,” has made it difficult for many manufacturers to hire more workers and grow their businesses. In fact, the Associated Equipment Distributors (... Read more »
College affordability is increasingly on the minds of more and more Americans—particularly with students preparing to head off to college and a national election on the horizon. Unfortunately, as college costs continue to rise, one “solution” being discussed would only add fuel to the fire. According to research from the American Action Forum, expansions in federal tuition subsidies have been the ... Read more »
The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 5587) continues to gain positive reaction from education leaders and job creators. Introduced by Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Katherine Clark (D-MA), the bill will help more students acquire the skills they need to succeed in today’s workforce by improving federal support for career and technical education. Sta... Read more »
