NSC brings employers to DC to talk SECTORS.

Employers Come to Washington to Promote Targeted Solution to Nation’s Skills Gap

View Photos from the Fly-In

On November 16-17, National Skills Coalition, working with partner organizations, brought a delegation of 17 employers in manufacturing, health care, construction, and clean energy to Washington to meet with policymakers to discuss skill gaps in their industries, how sector partnerships can help fill those gaps, and why the SECTORS Act is a political winner with strong bipartisan support. In July, the House of Representatives passed—with bi-partisan, unanimous support—the SECTORS Act, which would dedicate federal funding to the creation of sector partnerships. The Senate has yet to pass the Act.

The group of employers and NSC staff met with White House officials from the Domestic Policy Council and Office of Management and Budget. On Capitol Hill, the group met with Senator Sherrod Brown’s office (lead sponsor of the SECTORS Act) as well as Senate HELP Committee staff. At their meeting with Jane Oates, Assistant Secretary of DOL’s Employment and Training Administration, the group was welcomed by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. 

Employers ready to hire and add jobs are stifled by skill gap.

“We have record unemployment and skilled jobs going unfilled. We should never have these two problems at the same time,” said Michael Mandina of Optimax Systems, Inc. in Ontario, New York. “I came to Washington to tell national policymakers that the skill gap is real, it’s keeping people unemployed, and it’s keeping companies like mine from growing and adding jobs.”

Research supports what employers are experiencing on the ground and suggests that the skill gap could be stifling efforts to lower the unemployment rate.

According to a 2010 survey by Manpower Inc., one-in-five employers (22 percent) reported that, despite an abundant labor pool, they still have positions for which they can't find qualified candidates. Two-thirds of HR professionals in large health-care organizations report a shortage of qualified workers.

According to a recent International Monetary Fund study, the skills gap is at a historical high in many states, especially in those with large manufacturing sectors. The skills gap accounts for 50 basis points of the increase in unemployment since 2007.

Good Policy: Sector Partnerships are a proven strategy for addressing skill gaps

The employers from twelve states delivered a strong message to policymakers in Washington that Sector Partnerships are a proven strategy in need of federal support.

“Sector Partnerships offer distinct capacity to bring employers together across an industry to figure out their common skill needs and work with education providers, labor, and community organizations to shape training accordingly,” said Jennifer Hermann of UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco, California. “That means my organization can focus on the business of patient care. It means people in my community can train for a job and advance in my organization. It’s that simple.”

Good Politics: SECTORS Act has bi-partisan support, now is the time to act

The group of employers called on members of the Administration and Congress to act swiftly in moving the SECTORS Act through the Senate and to build on that momentum to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act.

“The single biggest issue facing our country is jobs.  Despite all the talk of political polarization in our country, the House of Representatives passed the SECTORS Act on a unanimous bi-partisan vote,” said Scott Ellsworth of Tipco Punch, Inc. in Hamilton, Ohio. “That’s because this issue of skills rises above politics. It’s something we can all agree on. It’s time for the Senate to rise above partisan politics and do what’s right for America’s business owners and America’s workers.”

Newly skilled workers, trained in collaboration with employers seeking new markets and growth opportunities, will be vital to economic recovery,” said Andy Van Kleunen, Executive Director for National Skills Coalition, which hosted the two-day event. “We applaud these business leaders for their efforts around the SECTORS Act, which will invest in new public-private partnerships that will enable our education and training institutions to better meet the needs of regional industries, helping them grow and provide new pathways to good jobs.”

Employers participating in the two-day fly-in included:

Erick Ajax, E.J. Ajax and Sons, Minneapolis, MN
Richard Berkowitz, Transportation Institute, Seattle, WA
Michael DiMarino, Linda Tool, Brooklyn, NY
Scott Ellsworth, Tipco Punch, Inc., Hamilton, OH
Michael Galiazzo, Regional Manufacturing Institute, Sparks Glencoe, MD
Jennifer Hermann, UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
Paul Hoffman, Orange Research, Inc., Milford, CT
Pamela Lendzion, Marinas International, Dallas, TX
Michael Mandina, Optimax Systems, Inc., Ontario, NY
Carl Moyer, Yahoo, Hillsboro, OR
Diana Parr, Uniloy Milacron, Inc., Tecumseh, MI
James Paulson, Shepard-Interactive, Portland, OR
Douglas Rose, Aero Gear, Inc., Windsor, CT
Gabe Shapiro, Next Step Living, Inc., Boston, MA
Liza Smitherman, Jostin Contstruction, Inc., Cincinnati, OH
Michael Tamasi, AccuRounds, Avon, MA
Richard Winsman, Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce, Longview, WA

Partner organizations included:

Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Greater Cincinnati Workforce Network, Jackson Area Manufacturers Association, JVS Boston, JVS San Francisco, Maine Marine Trades Association, National Fund for Workforce Solutions, SkillWorks, Workforce Development Council of Seattle King County, Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council, Worksystems, Inc.