Elise Stefanik: “For more than a year, America's workers have faced unprecedented challenges and unimaginable uncertainty. Today, nearly…”

“For more than a year, America's workers have faced unprecedented challenges and unimaginable uncertainty. Today, nearly 9 million fewer Americans are working than before the COVID pandemic struck, robbing mothers, fathers, friends, and neighbors of the dignity, purpose, and security of work. As we help our Nation recover from the economic toll of COVID-19 and strive to restore the livelihoods of millions of America's workers, we have a responsibility to put forth solutions that strengthen the pathways to meaningful family-sustaining careers. The apprenticeship model of providing paid work experience, coupled with classroom instruction and on-the-job mentorship, is a proven approach to equipping workers with the skills they need for lifelong success. Individuals who complete high-quality apprenticeship programs enter into well-paying jobs and do so without the debt that so often saddles our younger generation of workers. Yet, less than 3 percent of the workforce participates in the registered apprenticeship system, and the vast majority of the programs are concentrated in only a handful of industries. This leaves our strongest workforce development strategies vastly underutilized and emphasizes a blunt truth: Doubling down on this decades-old system won't change the trajectory during this historic time of need.…”