Jobs Part 2

A recent study by Ball State University found that 9 out of 10 jobs that had disappeared since the year 2000 were lost to automation and not to workers from other countries. Further, a 2015 report from the Manufacturing Institute found that seven in ten manufacturing executives said they faced a shortage of workers with adequate tech skills. To confront this problem, the Department of Labor, listed, 21,000 programs with about 500,000 apprentices. However, this represented only 1.5% of 18 to 24-year-olds. In the last two years, our government has allocated $265 million that enlarged these programs. Thomas Perez, President Obama’s Secretary of Labor established partnerships between registered community colleges and sponsors. Mr. Perez hoped there would be a doubling of the number of apprenticeships by the year 2018. At another level, a grant, created a creative experimental program in downtown Manhattan for youths with a high aptitude for math. This program was called Beam 6. In fact 76 students were drawn from the New York City public schools from low income populations. This program was founded in 2011, with the help from Sandor Lehoczky a senior trader at Jane Street. One can even look overseas to find a significantly different educational model than ours. Switzerland, for one, has compulsory education up through the ninth grade. Then their students choose either an academic or vocational curriculum. Beginning in the 10th grade, the vocational student pathway rotated among employers, industry organizations and school academics for the next 3 to 4 years of training and mentoring. For these students, learning is hands-on. In fact Switzerland’s unemployment rate for the youngest is the lowest in Europe and about a quarter that of the United States. it’s clear that federal and local government, major business , corporations, labor unions , interested citizens, and the educational school systems have worked together to establish creative pathways into the world of work. It’s significantly important that parents play a major part in the solution because there continue to be negative attitudes in some quarters about blue-collar work. It’s obvious there are models to solve this significant problem. It’s also true that conditions change, so solutions need to be fluid as well. Change is difficult, as well, as some are not willing to relinquish power and control. Remember, it’s about the young teens and young adults. When they succeed, we all succeed. And we need them to succeed.