E&W Blog

Today, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh is visiting North Carolina to tout the Biden administration’s so-called Good Job’s Initiative, which will centralize even more control of the workforce into the hands of the federal government. The Biden administration’s attempt to burden business owners with a Depression-era apprenticeship program, instead of opening more doors for employer-led apprenticeships, is a missed opportunity. 

The importance of skills-based learning is paramount, especially as our country endures a labor shortage and a rapidly widening skills gap. Yet the best way to solve this problem is not through an outdated Washington-run program; employers are poised to respond quickly to fluctuations in their respective industries, and they understand what skills their workers need. 

The vast majority of successful apprenticeship programs are led by private industry. Why, then, does the Biden administration continue to undermine these programs while putting all its weight behind an outdated program? The Biden administration should rethink its approach if it is serious about closing the skills gap, solving our labor shortage, and getting our economy back on track.