Expanding the Pipeline of Skilled Workers
By Bridget DeSimone, May 4, 2015
In the United States, there are 24 million frontline workers including food service workers, daycare providers, health care workers, construction laborers. But these workers are often stuck in low-wage and entry-level jobs without a clear path to master new skills and advance in a career.
On April 24, the White House hosted a summit focused on the critical need to “upskill” America’s workforce. More than 100 leading employers, who employ five million workers, made commitments to “upskill” their workers by expanding access to apprenticeships and on-the-job training in partnership with thirty national and local labor unions and non-profit groups.
UpSkill America partners played an integral role in bringing together the diverse group of 150 employers from companies big and small, labor leaders, non-profits, educators and technology innovators. In working sessions throughout the day, top executives from Fortune 500 companies like CVS, IBM, Xerox, Gap Inc., UPS and Capitol One rolled up their sleeves and brainstormed with labor representatives from SEIU, AFSCME and small business owners about how to help more frontline workers get the skills needed to fill the jobs businesses are creating.
In addition to the great success of the summit, UpSkill America launched a new resource on its website for employers who want to do more to help strengthen existing or jump start new upskilling initiatives: A GUIDE TO UPSKILLING AMERICA’S FRONTLINE WORKERS: A Handbook for Employers, created by Deloitte Consulting in partnership with The Aspen Institute.
To learn more, follow UpSkill America on Twitter, @UpSkillAmerica.
