Kudos to Trump for valuing vital vocational programs

As President Trump embarks on a week focused on making sure every American has access to good jobs, I applaud his focus on creating alternative pathways into middle-class careers beyond college — through apprenticeships and other vocational programs. Such programs are critical to millions of young people across our nation; young people like Asa.  

Asa grew up in extreme poverty in rural Mississippi, with little-to-no hope of ever going to college or learning a skill that could support his future family. Too many young Americans find themselves in the same position. It’s a familiar site in urban and rural parts of the country. We can do better.

{mosads}Asa was fortunate enough to learn about the Job Corps program, a proven federal job training program that educates and trains 50,000 youth each year. He enrolled in the Earle C. Clements Job Corps Center in Morganfield, Kentucky, one of 125 centers nationwide, where he studied welding through hands-on, skills-based training.

He earned his welding certification, graduated debt-free with his high school diploma and promptly landed a full-time job with Ingalls Shipbuilding, a large Mississippi-based company that employs more than 11,000 people. Asa is one of thousands of young people launching new, successful careers every day thanks to Job Corps.

Unfortunately, there are still 5.5 million young Americans like Asa, ages 16-24, who are out of school and out of work. At the same time, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 6.0 million jobs that remain unfilled because employers cannot find workers with the right set of skills. This “skills gap” is estimated to cost our economy $160 billion each year.

Job Corps answers employers’ call for skilled laborers. During testimony before the House Labor, HHS and Education Committee, Vice President of Business Development for Monster Government Solutions Susan Fallon said, “The bottom line: Job Corps works. Small and large businesses…trust their Job Corps centers and Job Corps graduates to meet their talent needs.”

President Trump and Congress can build off the success of proven programs like Job Corps. Every day, Job Corps graduates, like Asa, leave the program with the skills and certifications to be successful. Last year alone, more than 35,000 graduates received industry credentials and more than 86 percent of Job Corps graduates entered gainful employment or enrolled in higher education.

The economic benefits of Job Corps to the nation, state and the students are far greater than the annual cost of the program. Job Corps can also contribute to the president’s goal of increasing apprenticeship enrollments, particularly among younger workers, who currently account for fewer than one-in-five apprentices.

During his speech this week, the president clearly outlined the need to enhance and expand the use of apprenticeships. Job Corps students are well positioned to move into these apprenticeships throughout the country thanks to the excellent training and preparation they receive from the nation’s largest pre-apprenticeship program.

Today, Asa works as a welder for Zachary Group — earning $25.50 per hour. He is a perfect example of how Job Corps puts young Americans on the path to self-sufficiency, confidence and financial stability. As a former assistant secretary for the Department of Labor, I can tell you there is no job training program more in line with President Trump’s vision for getting people back to work than Job Corps.

Americans like Asa should be excited that President Trump is seeking to expand their access to good paying jobs. Advocates and practitioners like myself look forward to working with the president and his administration to unlock the potential of existing successful programs like Job Corps and, more importantly, the potential of every American worker.

Roberts Jones is on the board of the Management and Training Corporation, which is a contractor for Job Corps. Jones served as assistant secretary of employment and training for the Department of Labor under Presidents Reagan and Bush, was co-author of “The Jobs Revolution: Changing How America Works,” and is the current president of Education & Workforce Policy, LLP; which works directly with programs, institutions, companies and associations to better understand evolving labor-related public policy trends.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.