To the mark the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s establishing the National Council for the American Worker, the President and Ivanka Trump, special advisor to the President, signed the Pledge to American Workers.
The pledge asks companies and trade groups nationwide to commit to expand programs that educate, train and reskill American workers from high school age to near retirement.
“Manufacturers face a workforce crisis with more than half a million unfilled manufacturing jobs today and 2.4 million jobs that may go unfilled by 2028,” said National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons, who also serves as chairman of the board of The Institute.
“But manufacturers are also problem solvers and committed to being part of the solution. So today, manufacturers proudly make this pledge to the American worker: we will continue to invest in our workforce and provide 1,186,000 Americans with the opportunity to receive training and development that will enhance their skills and prepare them for the next step on their career journey. This is manufacturers demonstrating that we are keeping our promise to invest in our people. The men and women who make things in America are the backbone of this economy, and it is our commitment that America’s manufacturing workers will have the opportunity to learn, grow and take on new challenges.”
Reflecting over the year since the initiative the White House points to a “resurgence that is creating more opportunities.” The White House said that 5.4 million jobs have been created since the President’s election and his second State of the Union. But the with a low unemployment rate, training and reskilling is necessary to fill those open jobs. “By creating pathways for all Americans, regardless of age or background, to acquire the skills needed to secure and retain high-paying jobs, we can maintain our strong competitive edge and ensure inclusive growth and opportunity in our booming economy,” said Ivanka Trump.
The 509,000 open manufacturing jobs reported in May marks an all-time high for the industry. According to a 2018 skills gap study by the Institute and Deloitte, as many as 2.4 million manufacturing jobs will go unfilled by 2028. The most recent Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey also found that the inability to find skilled workers remains the single greatest challenge facing manufacturers today and for the past six quarters.
“With a record number of job openings right now—and many more expected over the next decade—the future of the manufacturing industry will be tied to the future of its workforce,” said Manufacturing Institute Executive Director Carolyn Lee “That’s why we are committed to supporting the manufacturing workforce of today and growing the manufacturing workforce of tomorrow. ”
NAM's commitment to this training was recently further with its recent announcement of a member-driven campaign to raise at least $10 million for the newly established “Creators Wanted Fund” to drive more Americans to pursue careers in modern manufacturing. The NAM and The Institute will bring a “Creators Wanted” mobile tour of modern manufacturing to parents and students in 20 to 25 states over 18 weeks, unveil a year-long nationwide digital campaign to recruit new talent to the industry and host a culminating “Making America” Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio, in September 2020 featuring interactive exhibits, thought leadership forums and entertainment to showcase the future of modern manufacturing in America.
