Youth Employment

Last week the administration launched what it termed “the next step” in its economic agenda: a sweeping, administration-wide effort to equip the American workforce to succeed in the modern economy. To propel this initiative forward, it is seeking advice and cooperation from leaders in business and education. Our message at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is simple: Count us in. We look forward to continuing our work with the administration on this issue of critical importance to the entire business community.

Over the past five years or so, workforce data has been sending a strong message: there is a difference between the expectation that employers have of the skills and competencies that a new employee will have on day one and what the employee is actually capable of doing. The only way to ensure skills translate into successful career paths is to provide students and their families with exposure to and awareness of the jobs and career paths available across industries right in their own community.

On Monday, the U.S. Chamber revealed a new art installation, “Building the Workforce of the Future,” showcasing some of America’s leading employers in workforce development efforts. These employers are: PNC, The Home Depot, IBM, Microsoft, ExxonMobil, the Greater Houston Partnership, Wyoming Machine, and Novelis. The display illustrates the work of these companies, across the four phases of the nation’s talent pipeline, to close the skills gap and cultivate a highly-trained workforce of tomorrow.