Press Releases

America has a problem: with more than 10 million unfilled jobs and a monumental skills gap, the United States is approaching dire economic straits. Apprenticeships are a potent remedy to fill the gaps in our workforce and offer Americans work experience, education, and a clear path to a well-paying job.

Unfortunately, Democrats are working to unravel apprenticeship opportunities that don’t fit into the left’s one-size-fits-all box. This will not prepare our nation’s workforce to succeed.

In Case You Missed It via The Hill, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader, lays out how Democrats bungled America’s apprenticeship system—and how job creators are stepping up.


For apprenticeship programs to thrive—get employers back to the table
By Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
November 17, 2022

This year’s National Apprenticeship Week is the perfect time to take stock of our country’s workforce development systems. With more than 10 million unfilled jobs in the U.S. and more than six million unemployed individuals, it’s obvious that our current systems need a lot of work. To make matters worse, an enormous skills gap is hampering our country’s economic growth, and America’s federal workforce development systems are doing little to address the problem effectively.
…
Workforce development programs, including apprenticeships, must have employer input. Yet at every turn, Democrats are working to limit the voices of job creators and amplify those of Big Labor. …

While Republicans sought to empower industries and companies to develop their own systems for upskilling or reskilling workers, Democrats are propping up an 80-year-old system mired in red tape.
…
Instead, more businesses are opting to build their own workforce development pipeline or earn-and-learn program rather than spending time and money jumping through bureaucratic hoops.

Supporting free market solutions is the surest way to get innovative programs that work.
…
If Democrats want apprenticeship programs to thrive, they must listen to employers. Our country does not need more top-down programs built on bureaucracy instead of the expertise of industry leaders. The future of America’s workforce development programs will be forged by employers and industry leaders—let’s give them a seat back at the table.
 
Read the full op-ed here.