On the recordMay 21, 2015
Since taking office, my top priority has been to support policies that improve our economy and strengthen the Inland Empire's middle class. Last month I released my jobs plan, summarizing what I have heard from small-business owners, job seekers, and community leaders throughout San Bernardino County. Among the many issues people face is the skills gap, the disconnect that exists between potential employees and the available job market demands of those who possess specific or technical skills. That was one of the biggest problems that I heard. That is why yesterday I introduced the On-the-Job Training Tax Credit of 2015, a bill that creates a temporary tax credit for employers to use to help pay for the costs of training new hires. This will enable local owners to expand their businesses and empower employees with critical skills to help them succeed in the 21st century economy. Through apprenticeship programs, vocational schools, community colleges, and more, job seekers who have been locked out of today's economy will be retrained and brought back into the fold in the Inland Empire's economy. Studies tell us that approximately 3\1/2\ million manufacturing jobs will be open over the next 10 years, but we will only be able to fill 2 million of them due to the skills gap. It is time to retrain our workforce and build up the middle class. This bill will help us do just that. ____________________
