President Barack Obama expects the American manufacturing renaissance to continue, thanks to a new initiative called Tech Hire. The White House is partnering with more than 20 cities to boost college enrollment at four-year institutions, community colleges and non-traditional training programs to promote high-tech jobs geared towards the manufacturing sector.
Obama made the announcement at the annual League of Cities conference in mid-March 2015. The overall goal of the program is to employ 50,000 people who obtain the skills necessary for contemporary factory jobs. Positions that once needed muscle and manual workmanship have been replaced by high-tech jobs that require the educational background of an engineer or a computer technician.
In addition to higher education, job training programs could put employees into high-tech jobs within three months. Students that graduate from skill-specific academies run by various agencies can potentially get higher-paying jobs. Manufacturers intend to immerse students in intensive, all-day training programs five days per week until the course goals are met. Audits are expected to confirm how graduates get placed into better positions.
The federal government intends to partner with cities to provide funding. Cities included in the Tech Hire initiative include San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis and Detroit. The White House noted that the 21 cities in the program have more than 120,000 unfilled job openings between them. Nationally, the Obama administration claims the United States has 5 million job openings, with 500,000 of those in IT fields.
The program addresses the so-called skills gap that exists for many unskilled laborers who do not meet the educational requirements of high-tech jobs in factories. The Obama administration promises $100 million in competitive grants that go towards innovative approaches to learning and training. The White House encourages training programs that help people with barriers to training such as parents with child care responsibilities, people with disabilities and disadvantaged youth.
Part of the American manufacturing push comes from the fields of 3-D printing, additive manufacturing and robotics. A bipartisan panel of senators endorsed the Manufacturing Skills Act in September 2014 before the measure was sent to a committee. The White House program mimics the $100 million of grants proposed by the Senate bill. Higher education at schools such as the University of Connecticut and University of Michigan has already met some of the challenges of new manufacturing techniques.
However, many more cities and institutions must play a role if high-tech jobs plan to stay on American soil. Action needs to happen now before Asian countries catch up to U.S. technology standards. Once Asian countries have the high-tech capabilities of American firms, skilled jobs for less money may soon follow.
The federal government recognizes that manufacturing must be a part of America's employment future. High-tech jobs are here to stay, and workers should adapt now to meet the demands of employers. Otherwise, the skill gap may get worse, and companies may be forced to seek employees elsewhere.
Photo courtesy of COD Newsroom at Flickr.com
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