Apprentice Programs:
That’s how businesses used to help workers get necessary job skills.Today, workers aren’t feeling the love. Thousands of jobs are unfilled and businesses claim they can’t find workers with the skills. ©2017
It’s a fact. American businesses are sitting on thousands of jobs that are unfilled. They tell us they cannot fill those jobs because it’s difficult to find Americans with the necessary job skills.
This should be unacceptable. If government is going to lower the corporate tax rate and dole out other goodies to businesses, shouldn’t government insist on a quid pro quo? Shouldn’t businesses be required to give something in exchange for the tax breaks they’re getting?
If they’re claiming they cannot fill thousands of jobs because not enough Americans have the necessary skills, they should be required to start apprentice programs in exchange for tax breaks.
Trump has naïve Americans believing he can turn back the clock and restore 1950s and 1960s jobs. But today’s jobs require skills that are more advanced than the assembly jobs 50 years ago. Workers will need to be re-trained to do the jobs now and in the future. There’s no turning back the clock.This is where apprenticeships could be of help.
In America’s history, previous generations of American businesses didn’t just sit back and talk about jobs they couldn’t fill due to a so-called skills gap. No. They took the initiative, and they started apprenticeships to teach American workers necessary skills. But American businesses today not only are greedy, but they lack the committment to help American workers while they’re sitting on huge cash reserves.
American businesses used to believe in the American worker. They formed partnerships with schools, and they would train workers for highly skilled jobs. Sometimes, businesses worked with unions, or sometimes they trained their workers independent of unions. But they got it done.
For years, apprenticeships were the main means to train skilled workers in this country. Today, American businesses have all but abandoned apprenticeship programs at a time when it claims it really needs more skilled workers.
The good thing about apprenticeships is that they can be adapted to fit just about any industry.
What we need in this country is a combination of government incentives, consumer demand, and the political will to make apprenticeships a bigger part in our economy.
We should be telling politicians we want business to establish apprentice programs in exchange for their tax breaks. Community Colleges and some high schools should get funding to set-up apprenticeship programs in partnership with businesses.
To his credit, President Barack Obama had announced a $100 million grant program to support the development of innovative apprenticeship programs across the country. It’s a drop in the bucket, but it was a start. We need more of that kind of thinking. But the public has to demand it.
In addition to the president, Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tim Scott (R-SC) also introduced legislation that would provide a $1,000 tax credit for companies that sponsor apprentice programs.
Apprenticeships could help thousands of Americans, particularly our people, African Americans. Our young and not-so-young people would have an opportunity to learn a quality skill and live the American dream.
Compared to other countries, the United States has fallen short in apprenticeships, and it even lags many smaller countries with smaller economies: look at recent apprenticeship participation in the following countries:
• United States—358,000 (in 2012)
• France-1.4 million
• Scotland-1.5 million
• Germany-3 million
• England-3 million
• Switzerland-3.1 million
Black leadership and black organizations, as well as others, would be wise to contact their representatives and demand that they fight for more apprenticeships. We have enormous political muscle. Let’s use it.
Let’s use it to advocate for more job training and apprentice programs. These programs also would provide yet another incentive for our young people to do well in school, because doing well in school would allow them to enter apprenticeships and learn valuable skills for life.
Unlike years ago, the apprentice model is not widely used or understood by American workers or businesses today. America had 358,000 active apprentices in 2012. That’s just 7 percent of the number of apprenticeships in England when adjusting for population size. In Germany and Switzerland, apprenticeships are a key means for their young people to enter the workforce.
If we must protest or advocate for something, let’s petition government officials for apprentice and training programs. Apprenticeships will allow American workers and businesses to be more competitive in the world and reduce the need to import workers with skills Americans may not have.These programs could be life changing for several generations.
As James Brown once sang, “I don’t won’t nobody to give me nothing, open up the door, and I’ll get it myself.”
That’s how businesses used to help workers get necessary job skills.Today, workers aren’t feeling the love. Thousands of jobs are unfilled and businesses claim they can’t find workers with the skills. ©2017
It’s a fact. American businesses are sitting on thousands of jobs that are unfilled. They tell us they cannot fill those jobs because it’s difficult to find Americans with the necessary job skills.
This should be unacceptable. If government is going to lower the corporate tax rate and dole out other goodies to businesses, shouldn’t government insist on a quid pro quo? Shouldn’t businesses be required to give something in exchange for the tax breaks they’re getting?
If they’re claiming they cannot fill thousands of jobs because not enough Americans have the necessary skills, they should be required to start apprentice programs in exchange for tax breaks.
Trump has naïve Americans believing he can turn back the clock and restore 1950s and 1960s jobs. But today’s jobs require skills that are more advanced than the assembly jobs 50 years ago. Workers will need to be re-trained to do the jobs now and in the future. There’s no turning back the clock.This is where apprenticeships could be of help.
In America’s history, previous generations of American businesses didn’t just sit back and talk about jobs they couldn’t fill due to a so-called skills gap. No. They took the initiative, and they started apprenticeships to teach American workers necessary skills. But American businesses today not only are greedy, but they lack the committment to help American workers while they’re sitting on huge cash reserves.
American businesses used to believe in the American worker. They formed partnerships with schools, and they would train workers for highly skilled jobs. Sometimes, businesses worked with unions, or sometimes they trained their workers independent of unions. But they got it done.
For years, apprenticeships were the main means to train skilled workers in this country. Today, American businesses have all but abandoned apprenticeship programs at a time when it claims it really needs more skilled workers.
The good thing about apprenticeships is that they can be adapted to fit just about any industry.
What we need in this country is a combination of government incentives, consumer demand, and the political will to make apprenticeships a bigger part in our economy.
We should be telling politicians we want business to establish apprentice programs in exchange for their tax breaks. Community Colleges and some high schools should get funding to set-up apprenticeship programs in partnership with businesses.
To his credit, President Barack Obama had announced a $100 million grant program to support the development of innovative apprenticeship programs across the country. It’s a drop in the bucket, but it was a start. We need more of that kind of thinking. But the public has to demand it.
In addition to the president, Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tim Scott (R-SC) also introduced legislation that would provide a $1,000 tax credit for companies that sponsor apprentice programs.
Apprenticeships could help thousands of Americans, particularly our people, African Americans. Our young and not-so-young people would have an opportunity to learn a quality skill and live the American dream.
Compared to other countries, the United States has fallen short in apprenticeships, and it even lags many smaller countries with smaller economies: look at recent apprenticeship participation in the following countries:
• United States—358,000 (in 2012)
• France-1.4 million
• Scotland-1.5 million
• Germany-3 million
• England-3 million
• Switzerland-3.1 million
Black leadership and black organizations, as well as others, would be wise to contact their representatives and demand that they fight for more apprenticeships. We have enormous political muscle. Let’s use it.
Let’s use it to advocate for more job training and apprentice programs. These programs also would provide yet another incentive for our young people to do well in school, because doing well in school would allow them to enter apprenticeships and learn valuable skills for life.
Unlike years ago, the apprentice model is not widely used or understood by American workers or businesses today. America had 358,000 active apprentices in 2012. That’s just 7 percent of the number of apprenticeships in England when adjusting for population size. In Germany and Switzerland, apprenticeships are a key means for their young people to enter the workforce.
If we must protest or advocate for something, let’s petition government officials for apprentice and training programs. Apprenticeships will allow American workers and businesses to be more competitive in the world and reduce the need to import workers with skills Americans may not have.These programs could be life changing for several generations.
As James Brown once sang, “I don’t won’t nobody to give me nothing, open up the door, and I’ll get it myself.”