Alexander: Apprenticeship Programs Can Help Close Skills Gap That is Leaving Millions of Jobs Unfilled

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 15 – Senate labor committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after President Trump signed an executive order that will expand and increase funding for Department of Labor apprenticeship programs:  

“In today’s rapidly changing workplace, the challenge for Americans is acquiring the skills they need to adapt and to find, keep, or create a job—and apprenticeship programs are an important way for students to get that valuable real-world experience and help close the ‘skills gap’ that is leaving millions of jobs in this country unfilled. The Manufacturing Institute estimates, for example, that in the manufacturing sector alone, the skills gap in this country will leave two million jobs unfilled over the next 10 years, and I am glad President Trump has taken action today to address this issue and to create a better environment for more Americans to find good-paying jobs.”  

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