Sen. Scott Applauds White House Focus on Apprenticeships

As an advocate for apprenticeships and job training programs, Sen. Scott is excited to see the administration’s emphasis placed on getting the American workforce the skills needed to meet the demands of our evolving work force. The Senator released the below statement following the White House’s announcement of a new apprenticeship initiative this afternoon:

“If we want to make the American dream a reality for folks across the country, especially those stuck in tough financial situations, we need to make sure they are equipped with the right skills that will make them competitive in the job market. There are six million job openings in this country right now, and 95 percent of executives surveyed in a Business Roundtable study said they are having trouble finding qualified employees. This skills gap is real, and isn’t a Republican or Democrat issue but rather an American problem we must address head on. A great way to start chipping away at the skills gap is to develop apprenticeships and job training programs. That is why earlier this year, I introduced my bipartisan LEAP Act, which focuses on incentivizing apprenticeship programs through a new federal tax credit for employers. Today, I am thrilled to see the White House has taken a proactive step in building and improving our national workforce development strategy. I applaud the President’s recent executive action that will double federal funding on apprenticeship programs and calls for a review of current federal job training programs. I look forward to working hand-in-hand with the administration and my colleagues to continue to get the American workforce prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.”