“Simply put, it seems clear there is a skills gap in the US economy that is nagging the labor market.”
I really doubt this.
I remember a claim that much of the “skills gap” comes down to two things. First there is a set of employers that want to pay 2/3 of the going wage or less e.g. weld 3/8in stainless x-ray tested for $20/hr. The second is due to the bureaucratization and automation of HR e.g. we want 5 years experience with a software application that is less than 3 years old.
That said I think there are problems with ability to pass drug tests, and with lack of people interested in certain skilled professions. How many people hear high school students say they want to become machinists?
Come to Houston and you’ll find thousands of highly skilled engineers and scientists who would kill to secure a job.