The Nature of American Work is Changing: Closing America's workplace skills gap

Washington Times ^ | 08/31/2018 | By V. Brett Melvin

[SeekAndFind]

The 21st century American workforce is changing, and will look very different just a few years from today given the ongoing technological innovation and the number of retirements of the baby-boom generation, which as begun, and will accelerate.

In one sense, this prediction is not difficult to make. The workforce — specifically the necessary skills that comprise it — has constantly been changing throughout the nation’s history.

This is all the more reason to ask: Is America ready to meet the needs of its workforce and industries to sustain a growing, competitive economy? Many signs today indicate our labor force is not equipped for the workplace of the near future, or even for the workplace skills needed for the present day.

This skills gap in America’s workforce constitutes the difference between what employers need their employees to be able to do, and what those employees can actually do on their first day of work. Congress and the Trump administration have begun to address nation’s skills gap in recent years, but much more can and must be done.

The skills gap exists in several major industries throughout the country, including in construction, manufacturing, mechanical, engineering, health care, food service and retail jobs. For example, the U.S. Labor Department reports that approximately 482,000 manufacturing jobs are available, but unfilled, with another 263,000 or so vacant construction jobs. These traditionally named “blue-collar” sectors are lucrative middle-class jobs upon which to raise a family and achieve the American dream.

Overall, there are now slightly more available jobs than the nearly 6.3 million Americans who are unemployed. Contributing to this is the alarming reality that millions of Americans lack of requisite workplace skills and are missing out on gainful employment. That is unacceptable.

[pas]

The biggest thing to teach them is the ability to learn. By the time they graduate much has changed anyway.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Won’t “Common Core” help fix the skills gap?

/S

[steve8714]

The biggest problem is that many workers would rather stay home and smoke dope than go to work every day.

[VastRWCon]

Been working from home for the last 5 years. The work force is changing. There are others in my company and in my hood that also work from home.

[StolarStorm]

I telecommuted for several years as a perk of the job (software). Funny, but when I had a med incident that created a disability that required I worked from home... my company took away the perk. lol. So, it was ok to work from home when I didn’t need to, but when I needed to... it wasn’t ok. Go figure.

[VastRWCon]

that’s weird. Yep software here too.

[NobleFree]

The mentioned programs are fine and pro-American. Watch out if someone starts claiming a skills gap that must be addressed by letting in more foreign workers (as with "technically skilled" H-1Bs) - that's a scam for corporate globalists to further fatten their wallets at the expense of the American standard of living.

Congress can at least address this problem head-on this year by passing the proposed USA Workforce Tax Credit Act, or HR 5153, which was introduced by Rep. Lloyd Smucker, Pennsylvania Republican, and now has three dozen co-sponsors. This legislation would provide effective financial incentives for more businesses and industries to step into the workforce preparation and apprenticeship arena. Specifically, tax credits offered would result in greater private-sector investment in such program areas to address the skills gap since companies would directly reduce their federal tax liability accordingly.

This bill also would provide tax credit incentives that would generate greater scholarship opportunities in K-12 education so that students and parents will have greater options — including, for example, alternative high schools with more career and technical education than traditional public school districts offer; or rather accessing higher quality education that better prepares students to enter an apprenticeship or skill-development program as alternative to traditional college.

[StolarStorm]

They are already doing that. Several CEOs of the largest tech companies just went to DC to ask for more H1Bs. There are plenty of folks out there, but they are over 40 and born here. Tech companies just hate that. I can speak to one of them with intimate knowledge. No interest in USA > 40, so want more H1-B.

[NobleFree]

They are already doing that.

I know it all too well - but the sectors the article addresses don't seem to be doing that (yet).

[JerryBlackwell]

I worked for a company that had a flexible work arrangement. You worked at your desk until 6pm but nights and weekends you could work wherever you wanted.

[StolarStorm]

BINGO! That’s exactly what happened. My former team mates were allowed to telecommute ... after normal work hours. I used that scenario as an example of how letting me continue to telecommute was a reasonable accommodation. I had been doing the same job for years and I was already going to be expected to do the job off hours from home as well so it didn’t make any sense that being in the office was an essential part of the position. Besides, almost all of my interaction was with folks who were out of sate or overseas anyway. No dice. It was either leave the job or sue ... and I didn’t want to sue.