Moving in the Right Direction

This week marks National Apprenticeship Week, a time for students, employees, educators, job creators, and policymakers to reflect on the critical role education and on-the-job experience play in helping Americans succeed in an increasingly competitive and evolving workforce. As conversations take place across the country about the importance of apprenticeships, many will likely also discuss the continued challenges facing the nation’s workplaces.

For example, our economy faces one of the highest levels of unfilled jobs in over a decade. With so many workers looking for good-paying jobs, why do millions of positions remain empty? In large part, the skills gap. According to one study, more than half of employers surveyed said they are unable to find candidates qualified for the high-skilled, in-demand jobs they need to fill – jobs in fields such as healthcare, engineering, and advanced manufacturing. Why? Because too many jobseekers lack the tools and knowledge necessary to get the jobs done.

In an effort to close the skills gap and develop a strong 21st workforce, Congress passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) last year. The law helps prepare students and workers for the jobs available by:

• Prioritizing work-based learning experiences such as apprenticeships and internships for participating youth;

• Encouraging partnerships between employers and colleges and universities so workers can receive on-the-job and classroom preparation that will help them fill the needs of local businesses; and

• Supporting employers that offer training opportunities for current employees to upgrade their skills and compete for new jobs.

WIOA was lauded as “an important, critical step toward strengthening and modernizing the nation’s workforce investment system” and “a tangible commitment to improve the country’s chances of addressing the skills gap and building a workforce that can compete and succeed in the global economy.”

As Higher Education and Workforce Training Subcommittee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) said after the president signed WIOA into law,

This law will help millions of American jobseekers get the skills needed to improve their employment prospects and improve their quality of life.  Our economy will benefit from a 21st century workforce capable of filling the millions of jobs that currently go unfilled due to the skills gap.

But there is more work to do. That’s why, just last week, members on the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Subcommittee discussed ways to improve career and technical education and help more young Americans successfully enter the workforce. Educators and employers highlighted the value of hands-on learning that incorporates industry standards and employer input, and stressed the need for policies that provide states, schools, and businesses the flexibility to design programs tailored to their students and community.

National Apprenticeship Week is a time to recognize the importance of all job training and education programs in helping Americans obtain a job and earn their own success, as well as a time to renew our efforts to improve workforce development and education for the future of America’s workforce.