Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) toured manufacturers in Oregon March 24 to discover how more Americans can have quality jobs with good wages.
“At the Department of Labor, we believe the future of work is about job quality, equity and access for all workers to good middle-class careers,” Walsh said, according to a release from Bonamici's office.
Walsh and Bonamici discussed creating new opportunities with pre-apprentices, students, faculty and local labor leaders, The Chronicle Online said March 29.
In her news release, Bonamici touted the success of local training programs, apprenticeships and opportunities in the trades are giving job-seekers the possibility of a better living.
Blue collar industries experienced significant labor, skills and staffing shortages, despite the economic rebound from COVID-19 induced stagnation, according to a New York Times September 2021 article.
That matches findings by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for the end of 2021, which revealed a 20-point increase in how many contractors reported difficulties in finding skilled workers.
The skills gap may widen as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects significant growth for blue collar sectors that include wind turbine service technicians, solar panel installers and restaurant cooks, Forbes reported March 2.
