National Skills Coalition and the BlueGreen Alliance released new research and key findings that quantify the impacts of the laws on our nation’s labor supply. 

Based on the findings described in this data brief, we’ve identified three critical areas for meeting the opportunities posed by this historic investment while ensuring that a greater number and diversity of workers have the training, credentials, and support to access and succeed in these roles: 

• Investing in Inclusive Education and Training Programs 
• Diversifying the Infrastructure and Clean Energy Workforce 
• Elevating Job Quality and Enhancing Worker Protections 

Download the full data brief for an overview of how these three laws and their investments provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen the backbone of our economy—the blue-collar, middle-class jobs that require skills training. Stay connected for future infrastructure advocacy opportunities through National Skills Coalition’s People Powered Infrastructure campaign.  

* A job-year is one person working at one job for one year.

The post Unprecedented Opportunity: Meeting the Workforce Demands of New Clean Energy, Manufacturing, and Infrastructure Investments appeared first on National Skills Coalition.

• 84% of voters want to make federal financial aid available to anyone seeking skills training, not just those seeking college degrees
• 90% of voters want to provide access to digital skills training for workers throughout their careers so they can adapt to new technologies at work
• 91% of voters want the creation of closer partnerships between training providers and businesses to train people for the jobs that businesses need to fill.

The post Legislative Agenda for the 118th Congress appeared first on National Skills Coalition.

Yet, hiring trained workers for these jobs (as well as the success of planned infrastructure projects) hinges on a new generation of workers having access to the education, skills training, economic supports, and hiring and career advancement opportunities they need to land jobs in the booming infrastructure and clean energy sectors.

If we are serious about training the next generation of infrastructure workers – as well as ensuring that these investments contribute to an inclusive economy – we need to intentionally open the door to millions of workers who want to train for a new career in infrastructure – particularly workers of color, and women.

That’s why NSC’s has released Building the Future Workforce – a playbook for state policymakers, governors, advocates and state agency leaders who want to cultivate a strong, diverse, multigenerational workforce capable of driving the development and maintenance of our nation’s new infrastructure.

Building the Future Workforce offers six recommendations and four case studies that illustrate how state policymakers can connect more working people to quality infrastructure and clean energy jobs and create benefits for residents, businesses, and communities that rely on the implementation and maintenance of critical infrastructure.

* A job-year is one person working at one job for one year. 

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“Our research has found that, in combination, the Inflation Reduction Act, BIL, and CHIPS Acts will be a major engine of new job opportunities for workers in all sectors of the U.S. economy. This includes, among others, electricians, roofers, office managers, accountants, research scientists, truck drivers, bus drivers, sales managers, and bookkeepers. All such workers, and many more, will be making critical contributions towards a U.S industrial renaissance and advancing the country’s clean energy transition,” said PERI Co-Director Robert Pollin.

Researchers project a significant share of jobs created by these investments are within reach for workers without a college degree. A disproportionately large share of the types of jobs created by the investments of these three laws are available to workers without a bachelor’s degree: 69.1% of direct jobs overall, compared to the 59.6% of jobs in the total U.S. workforce.

“These historic federal investments can grow good-paying, safe jobs and build a prosperous clean economy at the same time, delivering for workers, communities, and the climate,” said BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director Jason Walsh. “They provide an opportunity, in particular, for low-income and blue-collar workers—the folks who have been on the hurting end of our economy for decades—to move into the middle class. There’s a lot of good news here, but we know that there’s still a lot of work to do to make sure the jobs supported by these laws are good, family-supporting jobs available to all.”

“The success of planned infrastructure projects, including green energy projects, hinges on a new generation of workers having access to the education, skills training, economic supports, and hiring and career advancement opportunities they need to land infrastructure jobs,” said Melissa Johnson, Managing Director, State Strategies at National Skills Coalition. “If we are serious about training an inclusive infrastructure workforce, we need to intentionally open the door to millions of workers who want to train for a new career—particularly workers of color and women.

* A job-year is one person working at one job for one year.

The post Executive Summary of PERI Report: Employment Impacts of New U.S. Clean Energy, Manufacturing, and Infrastructure Laws appeared first on National Skills Coalition.

Written by NSC’s Government Affairs team, this agenda will guide the strategic work of the organization, and our networks, aligned to our four issue campaigns that prioritize the ways that federal and state policymakers can most effectively expand high-quality skills training and drive toward an inclusive economy:

• Congress should ensure that cost isn’t a barrier to training;
• Congress should help workers and small businesses engage in industry partnerships; and
• Congress should support state and local data collection to measure equitable outcomes.

Skills policy alone can’t correct every economic inequity, but investments in inclusive skills policy can begin to address the disproportionate impact of major economic shifts on workers of color, immigrants, and workers with a high school diploma or less; the essential role of small businesses who hire locally and invest in their people; and the moral and economic imperative to dismantle structural racism within workforce education and training.

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Managing Director of Governing Affairs Katie Spiker sits down with National Skills Coalition CEO Andy Van Kleunen to discuss what skills advocates can expect from President Biden in the State of the Union Address, aligned to NSC policy campaigns.

The post Skills on the Hill Episode 17: State of the Union appeared first on National Skills Coalition.

NSC CEO Andy Van Kleunen joins Secretary Jennifer Granholm to hear how the U.S. Department of Energy is implementing federal investments and partnering with agencies across the government to develop our nation’s clean energy workforce.

Last month the Biden Administration passed the Inflation Reduction Act, making historic investments to protect and improve land, water, air, and health in underserved communities. Along with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the CHIPS and Science Act, these investments hold the potential to create and transform millions of jobs. The Department of Energy’s focus now is to channel these federal dollars into our local communities, particularly those that are disadvantaged, marginalized, and underserved. These same communities have limited access to high-quality, inclusive skills training to fill clean energy jobs.

Hear from Secretary Granholm about the steps her agency is taking not only for cleaner, smarter, and more affordable energy services, but to also support high-quality, inclusive skills training that will leverage the talent of America’s workers to power a clean energy future.

Moderator: Andy Van Kleunen, CEO, National Skills Coalition

Featured Guest: U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm, U.S. Department of Energy

Respondents:

• Dr. Lisa Bly-Jones, CEO, Chicago Jobs Council
• John Brauer, Workforce and Economic Development Program Director, California Labor Federation
• Laure-Jeanne Davignon, VP of Workforce, Interstate Renewable Energy Council

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NSC CEO Andy Van Kleunen joins Senior Advisor to the President and Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu, and a group of local leaders for a discussion about the Biden administration’s efforts to support industry partnerships, advance racial equity, and produce quality jobs through the rollout of the bi-partisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Biden Administration recently announced the allocation of $40 billion of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) toward workforce development efforts. The White House also issued the Talent Pipeline Challenge to secure commitments from local officials, employers, unions, and industry partnerships to use these recovery investments to train a diverse infrastructure workforce. Hear the latest from the person leading President Biden’s infrastructure rollout and from local leaders who have made Talent Pipeline Challenge commitments and are leveraging ARPA resources to support local industry partnerships, equitable workforce development, and quality jobs.

Moderator: Andy Van Kleunen, CEO, National Skills Coalition 

Featured Guest: Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, White House Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Coordinator 

Respondents: 

• Donny Jones, COO, Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama and Executive Director, West Alabama Works 
• Kelly Kupcak, Executive Director, Oregon Tradeswomen 
• Liza Smitherman, Business Leaders United Member, Chief People Officer, Jostin Construction  

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Moderator: Andy Van Kleunen | CEO of National Skills Coalition

Respondents:
Dr. Alex Camardelle | Director of Workforce Policy, Joint Center
Allison Dembeck | Vice President of Education and Labor Advocacy, Government Affairs, U.S. Chamber
Brad Markell | Executive Director, AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council

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National Skills Coalition (NSC) and Business Leaders United (BLU) convened an Infrastructure Industry Recovery Panel of leading experts working in local communities to learn what an effective, equitable, people-centered infrastructure plan should include. Panelists represent business, labor, education and training organizations, and others working in construction, utilities, transportation, and clean energy fields.

Key recommendations in this brief offered by the Panel to President Biden and Congress include:

• Include local resident training and employment in plans for federal infrastructure projects
• Invest in local industry partnerships to develop local workforce solutions
• Invest in equitable infrastructure career pathways
• Expand short-term training and flexible apprenticeship
• Help infrastructure workers and employers adapt to new technologies
• Support sustainable community outcomes beyond bricks, mortar, and jobs

NSC and BLU’s four Industry Recovery Panels have been sharing their collective recommendations with Congressional Leadership and Administration officials. Visit our Industry Recovery Panels landing page to learn more about each panel.

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National Skills Coalition and workforce development experts from the BlueGreen Alliance, the Manufacturing Institute, National League of Cities, and National Urban League analyze the administration’s American Jobs Plan, how any job creation package must include skills training to be successful, and what they need to see from Congress to get America’s workers and business back on track to an inclusive economic recovery.

Featuring:

• Katie Spiker, Director of Government Affairs, National Skills Coalition
• Andy Van Kleunen, CEO, National Skills Coalition
• Jason Walsh, Executive Director, BlueGreen Alliance
• Stephanie Martinez-Ruckman, Legislative Director, National League of Cities
• Traci Scott, Vice President of Workforce Development, National Urban League
• Cassi Zumbiel, Director – Workforce Initiatives, The Manufacturing Institute

The post Building Back Better with People-Centered Infrastructure appeared first on National Skills Coalition.