Hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee - Opening Statement of Sen. Thune, Hearing on Closing the Skills Gap and Boosting U.S. Competitiveness

Hearing

Good morning. We are here today to discuss a very important issue for the U.S. economy -- the technical skills gap among our workforce.

According to multiple surveys, employers are actively looking for skilled workers to fill available, well-paying jobs and they simply can't find them. As we will hear in detail from our witnesses today, there are numerous reasons for this, including a decline of technical education programs in public high schools; an increase in the number of baby boomers approaching retirement; a negative perception of the manufacturing sector among some potential employees, especially among those in younger generations; and an increased emphasis on four-year college enrollment to the possible detriment of more technical training.

These factors, and others, are creating a skills gap that is most pronounced in industries requiring a labor force with technical skills, like manufacturing, construction, and the energy sector.

In South Dakota, having a skill and being able to work with your hands is common for most folks. But that mentality was formed from necessity -- in rural America, oftentimes you need to be able to fix things for yourself when they break. Over time, this need has led to a natural respect for the men and women who focus their lives on those trades. In order for our country to remain competitive, we need to promote this perspective and work together to highlight the importance of the skilled trades to the very foundation and strength of our economy.

This hearing is intended to explore the causes of the skills gap, but just as importantly, highlight efforts by advocates and industry to address it. John Ratzenberger has put smiles on the faces of children and adults alike from his work on Cheers and numerous animated Disney Pixar movies. But today, he is here because of his passionate belief that America's greatness is connected to our ability to manufacture and his recognition that we need skilled workers.

Getting young people interested in working with their hands, and familiar with tools from a young age, is an important first step. A focus on technical education is part of the solution. It is no surprise to me that a South Dakota institute, the Lake Area Technical Institute, is leading the pack in training students to fill these skilled jobs.

Lake Area Tech is the winner of the 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence -- the nation's foremost recognition of high achievement and improvement in America's community colleges. An overwhelming 99 percent of Lake Area Tech's graduates are employed after graduation. And, once they enter the workforce, these graduates earn an average of 27 percent more than other new hires in the region. It is wonderful to see the work that Lake Area Tech and other community colleges and career and technical education programs are doing to train students for jobs that are available and lucrative. I look forward to hearing more about Lake Area Tech's programs in Colonel Cartney's testimony.

In addition to education pathways, U.S. employers are leading the charge in addressing this issue. Many companies have started training programs or fostered partnerships with local community colleges to try to improve their workforce pipeline and mitigate the impact of the skills gap.

This engagement is not limited to college partnerships. Many companies looking for future employees are finding innovative ways to engage K-12 students in STEM education. I look forward to hearing from the panel on what is being done on this front, what types of programs or models are working well, and what challenges remain.

Finally, it should be noted that the federal government partners with state and local communities and organizations to fund education, apprenticeship, workforce, and manufacturing-related programs, including at the Department of Commerce and the Federal Aviation Administration. The issues we will explore today affect industries and agencies that span the Committee's broad jurisdiction.

Getting Americans back to work, and in good paying jobs, is a key priority of the Committee, and will remain an area of focus as we approach the legislative agenda ahead. I thank the witnesses for taking part in that effort today, and I look forward to hearing your testimony.

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