Thomas E. Perez: Need job-driving training

As the U.S. secretary of labor, I have a unique opportunity to meet with employers around the country of all sizes and from an array of industries. So many of them tell me the same thing: They’re ready to grow their businesses and to hire more people.

But here’s the rub: Too often they can’t find workers who have the skills they need.

Meanwhile, although businesses have added 9.9 million jobs since February 2010, a lot of people are still hurting, unable to access the opportunities that will allow them to share in our national recovery. About a third of those who remain unemployed have been unemployed for six months or more.

So we have ready-to-work people looking for work. And we have ready-to-fill jobs that employers can’t fill. If we want to continue our economic recovery, grow our middle class and ensure a prosperous future, we’ve got to match them up.

That’s at the heart of President Obama’s opportunity agenda. And that’s why he recently signed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act – a bipartisan bill that passed with little fanfare but represents the first major reform of the nation’s workforce system since 1998. The reforms in the new law will make the nation’s workforce system, which serves more than 20 million people a year, better able to provide people with the skills they need to access ladders of opportunity.

But that’s not all. Vice President Joe Biden recently released a report calling for stronger partnerships with employers, better access to information for job-seekers, and more effective training strategies.

All of these efforts are based on the principle of job-driven training. We’re doing away with what I call “train and pray” – training people to be widget makers and praying that there’s a company hiring widget makers. We need to provide people with the skills needed for jobs that actually exist.

So what exactly does “job-driven training” look like? Here’s an example: The Early Childhood Associate Apprenticeship Program in Wichita is an innovative certification program that serves individuals working in childcare and early education.

And perhaps the most important ingredient to making this program successful? Since its inception, ECAAP has partnered with community colleges across the state. These colleges have tailored their curricula and service delivery to meet the needs of the child-care businesses.

Additionally, in November 2013, Butler Community College in El Dorado received a grant of $2.74 million under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant program to offer an Information Technology program for eligible workers, veterans and the long-term unemployed. The programs provide training that leads to certificates in dozens of IT competencies.

The Department of Labor also created a new FindYourPath tool to connect with an American Job Center and find the training opportunities a person needs to launch a successful career.

On Labor Day, we honor the contributions that hard-working men and women make every day to our nation’s strength and vitality. And we recommit ourselves to helping more people enjoy the dignity of work, helping them acquire the skills and access the opportunities to reach the American Dream.

This story was originally published August 31, 2014 at 7:05 PM with the headline "Thomas E. Perez: Need job-driving training."