Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to introduce with my colleague, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the Leveraging and Energizing America's Apprenticeship Programs or LEAP Act, which provides a tax credit to employers to help increase the number of registered apprenticeships in the U.S. and put more young Americans to work. Today, there are still more than 10 million unemployed Americans, and our young people continue to be especially hard hit. Nearly six years after the start of the Great Recession, 16 percent of 16 to 24 year olds are without a job. The numbers are far worse among youth of color and for those without college degrees. Yet 4 million jobs remain unfilled in the U.S., and part of the reason is that key gaps persist between the skills of young adults and workforce needs. By 2020, the United States is expected to experience a shortage of 3 million workers with associate's degrees or higher and 5 million workers with technical certificates and credentials. Apprenticeships are a proven way to help young people develop in- demand skills and to meet the needs of employers, yet they comprise just 0.2 percent of the U.S. workforce. While competitor nations around the world are investing in robust apprenticeship programs, the U.S., by contrast, had just 358,000 active, registered apprenticeships in 2012. That is 7 percent of what England offered when adjusted for population. In Germany, nearly half of all young people go through apprenticeship programs.…”