>> send it employment workplace safety subcommittee can come to order. settle down out there. today we are holding a hearing on getting america ready to wear. looking at successful on-the-job apprenticeship training programs to help workers and businesses remain competitive in the global economy. i look forward to today's witness testimony on the discussion that follows. the ranking member and i each have an opening statement and we

will introduce the witnesses after the witnesses give their testimonies. senators will have five minutes for a round of questions. we will have senators coming and going. who knows how any millions of people are watching, eventually on recorded video. we are unable to have the hearing fully open, live video is available on our website at help. senate.gov. i have both invited members outside the subcommittee for today's hearing. i look forward to them being a part of this conversation as well and building a bipartisan coalition to address some of the challenges we face in building tomorrow's workforce. as we consider investments in education and workforce we need to keep in mind that not everyone is going to go to college. they don't need to go to college to be successful. some people go to college at different times.

only 35% of young people in the united states ever complete a bachelor's degree or higher. apprenticeships and other on-the-job training programs are powerful alternatives. they help shift the conversations away from the traditional narrow four-year degree path. and towards the skills needed to find successful careers and jobs that exist today. right now, the three fastest growing jobs in america, nurse practitioners and solar panels installers, many jobs involve skills that could be gained from on-the-job training programs. these are the jobs that have comfortable incomes and can rebuild the american middle class. according to the bureau of labor statistics. they meet the salary for a solar panel installer is $40,000 a year. wind turbine technician earns a median wage of over $56,000 a year. we need to make sure that we

educate and train these workers on the specific and in demand skills in a partnership with the employers in these fields. we need to make sure we have programs that provide skills trainings were careers that are available now, but also the careers of tomorrow. coders to support information technology. project marketing coordinators. workers that can build new, more sustainable and reliable power grid, just to name a few. these are all careers attainable with a combination of classroom training and on-the-job apprenticeship programs. out of necessity, employers like toyota and intermediaries career rise -- careerwise are building programs to keep their business and partners globally competitive. our for -- our first witness is going to be my friend of, i don't know how long, probably over 25 years now.

he has learned over his 35 years of experience in manufacturing that workforce development has always been a limiting factor to economic growth. decades to tackle the workforce and skills gap by personally supporting 42 low-income kids. bounding the colorado advanced manufacturing aligns to engage manufacturers across the state and solving systemic challenges. chairing the school's career and college readiness counsel. as well as the metro denver chamber of commerce board. he has served on the colorado workforce development council and the scholarship initiative in the colorado economic development council. i can go on. the list goes on beyond that. but also, more importantly he came to me with this idea about

apprenticeships and founded, and has led this volunteer careerwise. training a programs that aren't associated with traditional apprenticeship programs and apprenticeship occupations. careerwise has worked with over 200 employers across the country from new york city, to denver, to indiana and to washington, d.c. to build these programs in modern occupations from software coding and automation design, banking and education and on. they made a possible first small businesses it will provide equitable opportunities while approving their bottom lines. i look forward to discussing how careerwise in toyota are building programs for the modern programs. we have a great example of how

on-the-job training will work. they just completed a registered apprenticeship program with assurance in denver and became a full-time journey worker as a business development representative. in miscarry, the president of toyota motor manufacturing in indiana will share how toyota created the academy that connects high school students with career opportunities and advanced manufacturing. i am eagerly looking forward to talking about how we, on this committee, can support these types of programs and continue to build on the success. i will turn it over to the ranking member for his opening statement. >> thank you, senator. i have probably, most recently come off the pavement of running a business. i can tell you, long before covid, in a state like indiana, i pledged to visit all 92 of our counties every year that i am a

u.s. senator. and i learned so much, and workforce was the number one issue. broadband and affordable housing. so every time i sit down with a business in indiana, which has got a great climate, we keep wrestling with this issue, and the gap is growing wider rather than naturally shrinking. you would hope that when those high demand, high wage jobs are out there, that there would be an easier way to dovetale that basic education you get in high school to whatever you want to do next, including immediately getting into the workforce. nfib, who represents a lot of those start ups, the small businesses that turn in the larger ones, say over half of their members grapple with that. even the ones down with just a few employees.

we are currently looking at reauthorizing the workforce innovation and opportunity act. i have to say that this topic is, maybe along with agriculture, one of the most bipartisan discussions i have seen in the senate. so we got a lot of that going for us as well. some of my colleagues are eager to increase the scope and funding of job-training on workforce development through reconciliation, a process we are going through currently. i must tell you i think that to get the proper input from employers across the country, that we need to be careful so that we get it right. maybe this ought to be a topic that we do through regular order and may be like this. discuss it, bring expert witnesses and in, and check where the rubber meets the road employers across the country. one way to serve employers needs is through industry recognized apprenticed programs which allow

job creators to have input and a more active role in what you do. if the economy changes, they allow apprenticeship programs to be flexible and innovative. today you will hear from the president of toyota motor managing indiana based in princeton, not far from where i live. they have done an excellent job with the tortilla academy. it's a model that companies across the country should aspire to put in place. i will close with this. when you have the cost of a college education now eclipsing, in terms of increase, rate of cost growth per year, that of health care, you have actually risen to a new level of having a dubious category of what's probably for families along with health care, the most important thing we need to get right.

i served on the education committee back in our indiana state legislator, and believe a lot of our issues go deeper in terms of your state boards of education actually thinking they are doing things by lipservice and generally disaggregated programs that don't hit the sweet spot, and have issues of where you actually stigmatize the pathway, like i found in my own school districts in my home county, and one that i served on, where there was no discussion when kids are in middle school, especially when they get to high school, of what your options are. parents are our main allies in this journey because they probably had one or two kids that pursued a four-year degree. half of them did not make it to the finish line. the third that did make it to the finish line got a degree with no market. that sat with as much money as we spend on it. so i think this is going to be

collaborative and i think businesses and parents are the main stakeholders in higher education across the country, which i think we can do a few things here. i'm looking forward to them taking the bull by the horns and putting us in a better place. >> thank you. >> thank you member. now we can get to the witness's testimony. i'm sure they are sick of us talking about them. i will talk about them a little bit more. manufacturing entrepreneur, the ceo of intertech classics and intertech medical. he has been on a 30 year journey to create more opportunity for young people. i mentioned the dreamers. he took them from almost no chance and gave 90% of them a great chance, he gave all of them a great chance. that journey has helped him create, as founder and ceo of

our nonprofit careerwise, i think it's one of the pioneering organizations in american youth apprenticeship. industry lake, student centered model that trains high school students for modern economy type jobs. advanced manufacturing, business opportunities, finance, health care, down the list. on monday he was selected to serve on the department of labor's national advisory committee. i know he will do good service there as well. miss navarro, i worked last night practicing to be able to pronounce a difficult name. with a name like hickenlooper you have a certain respect for the challenges of things. but they are business development representative with pinnacle insurance in denver,

colorado. she recently completed the careerwise program, which is registered with pinnacle insurance in colorado. they are a community interpreter certification in spanish, and a property casualty insurance certification. because of her apprenticeship she knows where she wants to take her career. obviously leaning towards additional training, possibly college that her employer would no doubt help take -- play for -- pay for. i understand your sister has accompanied you. you can wave. thank you for coming out here. thank you both for being here. we look forward to it. go ahead. introduce your witness. >> the president of toyota motor manufacturing in indiana based in princeton and a community an hour away from where i live.

as the first thing that has chronic issues of getting workforce right. it's for tight labor supply. that's the way you raise labors the old fashion way short -- way. it produces high and sequoia. started the career there in 1997 for national recognition as a leader in manufacturing and workforce training. she will tell us today about the innovative force he academy program. toyota began and is working in princeton, indiana and involves all the local high schools and is a model that other companies need to look at across the country. >> why don't you start with your testimony. >> thank you senator.

thank you for being an advocate when you are a business owner, a mayor, governor. the challenges we have to address the issues that you spoke about is that there are multiple paths to opportunity in this country. and because of that, i left the business that i founded over 41 years ago. it can be transformational for our country for our businesses in young people. i started my business 41 years ago. i was a junior in college at the time when i started that business. i really knew nothing. when i couldn't find the challenge i assumed it was the

schools. so i knocked on the front doors and spent the next 10 years learning there was a missing piece. and it wasn't as much as let's happening with the classroom but the role the industry plate. and it's semi-on a journey that led me to go to an institute that learned about how other countries do this. 70% began an apprenticeship that leads to a job in a market driven system that pays between 45 and $55,000 a year starting. you can start with an apprenticeship and end with a phd. the second reason is what the senator manchin. it's a part of the i have a dream foundation. once you've had that experience you just can't sit back and say that was enough. you could do that first city,

state or country. i believe, after five years, and building this model that i will say -- share with you now, i have the opportunity to talk about the change or the role that business can play that is in our self interest. the opportunity for young people that you will hear about later on in this country. so the way our model works it starts in the 11th to 12th grade students will spend two today week in business and in the classroom. three days a week in the business. full or part-time. these are registered apprenticeship where the students are being paid in apprenticeship wage.

they have the potential to do anything. it moves that the speed of business. schools cannot be expected to modify their curriculum where code may change every year. so this is a year to blend in the classroom with the power of the learning that takes place in the workplace. education belongs in both places. it's almost as if i'm talking about a three legged stool. the first is k-12 -- k-12, and yes we should make investments and continue to do that. but it's not the only answer. a two legged stool won't stand up. and ours is not in this country. but a three lake it stool can. what's the difference? the difference is industry has a role to play in education. not just consumers of talent, but that can be transformational

for our young people and for our businesses. what makes this possible and wise careerwise is critical is the role of intermediaries. yes we have great apprenticeships in the trades of this country led by the union, but it's not the only place where apprenticeships belong. the secret place is in high school because there is a cliff that happens. there is only one path to prosperity in america. there are two, and apprenticeship is an option multiplier. if you add that third leg of the stool, you can change everything. i can tell you in my own business, kevin king, a young african-american man, he built and programmed automations that enabled us to bring product from china. while also paying for his engineering degree. why, because it's in our self interest. the point about what i'm sharing today is this is more than just a program.

it's something that can change our country. in the words of jamie dimon and the ceo and chairman of j.p. morgan chase, who brought us to new york. soon after that we went to indiana and elkhart. he said something that was powerful. after visiting pinnacle assurance, he said, if each of us would do what pinnacle does and take 5% of our workforce and make them youth apprentices, we would change the country. that's the reason i left my business, that's the reason i spend 50 hours at careerwise, because i think we can change the country so that 10 years from now we won't talk about the same problems. >> thank you. i appreciate that. >> thank you for my invitation to speak. i completed my registered apprenticeship with pinnacle assurance in denver, colorado and became a full-time journey worker at a business development

representative. before my apprenticeship, i did not know what path i would be in. i would pick something random. that's what a lot of people my age do. they don't feel like they have options. but because i feel like i do have options in my apprenticeship. because of my apprenticeship, i have experience, confidence, career path and ability to provide for myself. i would like to tell you how it impacted my life. i grew up in denver, colorado with my mom, dad, three brothers and one sister. i parents primarily spoke spanish. i heard from adults that work was essential. i was not the type of person that wanted to go to college. i tried to figure out what i wanted to do before spending money on college. when i was in high school i did not know what i wanted to do for a career. school thought -- felt like i was learning things without context. i tried several other ways to not be in the school setting, such as internship. then my high school coordinator

suggest i do a apprenticeship. i need to say thank you to her because i will not have tried it or be here today if not for her. i would like to thank pinnacle and all the amazing people that helped train me and shake me to be the person i am today. i did my apprenticeship at an insurance company in denver. when i began in my first semester, i spent half of my days in high school classes on the other half at work. i was attracted to the apprenticeship because of the different career pathways that were open. supporting each team for a year. in addition about 5% of the workforce argued apprentices. through my apprenticeship in my training i learned a lot of skills. when i was in high school there weren't repercussions if i showed up late or did not meet a deadline. at work i needed to meet deadlines. i had to learn how to manage my time wisely, prepare meetings and assure my timing -- my

assignments were done on time. my teachers commented that i have become more mature and responsible. i have become more confident about public speaking. without my training i would not be speaking with you today. i like learning new things. in the beginning it was stressful for me when i was going through training. but then i feel accomplished. i know i'm ready for more and more. knowing that i'm an expert in those skills. and to keep gaining experience. i managed an entire claims queue. we were the only ones in charge. i saw that we were trusted just like the adults. my parents were hesitant because they wanted me to go to college. we went through the pros and cons, they got on board. i taught -- i promised them i

would get hired full-time. i was hired into a full-time role at pinnacle and i am proud of myself. i am also leaning towards going to college now and i know what i want to do with my career. my company will pay for my tuition. i have learned a community interpretation is certification and i'm aiming towards that. because of my apprenticeship i moved out of my parents house and got my own place. previous internships had no opportunity of promotion. no hope of a real career or better future. my apprenticeship allowed me to become a employee that could provide for myself. it has changed my life. has the opportunity to work and has given me the confidence and professionalism to succeed in whatever i want to do. i hope other students can have the same opportunities i had. thank you for listening.

>> thank you for coming, that was very well done. >> good morning. i am president of toyota at indiana where we produce some of the most technologically advanced vehicles on the world today. i want to thank the subcommittee for conducting this hearing where force development is important thing. i have been in the industry for 41 years. i am pleased to see many senators represent states where toyota has significant operations and workforce development partnerships. over the years toyota invested more than $29 billion in the united states. in fact, in june of 2020 we

completed our $13 billion u.s. operation. it will create an additional 1400 jobs to put electric vehicles. but to manufacturing facilities overall, 15 hundred dealerships on 180,000 people working across the united states. it is a paramount importance to toyota. my passion for workforce development is directed to my own experience as a young woman trying to find a way academically and professionally. initially i thought i wanted to be a chemist and do chemical analysis and it was not for me. when lab equipment failed, i learned that i like troubleshooting equipment rather than doing analysis and that really excited me. so i returned to school for electronics. through internship i was able to learn theory and apply it on the

job. a learning style that suited me perfectly. despite being the only woman in the room, i was not deterred, i persevered and had my passion for machines in a rewarding manufacturing career. as i reflect on those experiences, a few things come to mind that are fundamental to how toyota approaches workforce development. first, exposure early in life matters. i came across it by chance after already embarking on a serious course of study. if i was exposed to the program before college i would have landed on my pathway much sooner. but toyota has provided 30.5 million, 180 four k-12 schools in indiana and across the country to implement the program that provides students with stem education. in the area close to my plant we have teamed up with local high schools to create the academy, which is designed to connect

upper-level level students with career opportunities and advanced manufacturing. these efforts have significantly increase the pathways in our region. secondly, combining classroom learning with on-the-job experiences is by far the most powerful. we have collaborated with community colleges to develop a highly successful advanced manufacturing technician or amg program. our students attend school two days a week and learn on the job. they get technical knowledge, technical behavior in a distinct manufacturing core skills through a focused co-op experience. in indiana i partnered with vincent university. about 400 employers from 32 chapters in 12 states. and which is known collectively as the federation of advanced manufacturing education. it is now led by the

manufacturing institute at which i am on the board. it is quickly becoming america's premier homegrown manufacturing education network. over 1300 students have graduated since 2010, with more than 500 since 2020 despite the pandemic. lastly, i cannot overstate the importance of intentionality around bringing unrepresented -- underrepresented people into stem careers. toyota is providing tolls to help educators increase participation and persistence of women and underrepresented student groups. as the full committee considers next steps, i want to offer to policy suggestions. first, exposure early matters period i want to emphasize the importance of considering workforce development policies in conjunction with education policies. if the education policies are not flexible enough to allow

students to try different pathways, students can bypass even the best workforce opportunities. i urge the committee to prioritize the reauthorization. the community should regulate change that further increases -- in the workforce system. employers want to and can drive workforce developments to new heights. i appreciate this opportunity to testify before you, and i look forward to expanding on these comments and q&a. thank you. >> thank you so much. thank you for all that you are doing for workforce. i will ask a few questions and turn it over and we will rotate back and forth and interrogate you with a broad cross-section of u.s. senators. let's start with mr. ginsberg.

you said this already, but why is it that you think that intermediaries are so important for small and medium-size businesses that are project developed and in a program? why do we need intermediaries? >> thank you, senator. that's an important question because i can tell you as a business owner myself, we struggled to create an apprenticeship program for years. and it's because of small business we did not have the resource or knowledge of what a registered model would look like. and we did not know how to tap the talent of those that were interested. why an intermediary is so important today is that, in the u.s. context, currently businesses, few businesses are like toyota or pinnacle that actually understand the role that they can play. but if you are a small business, having an intermediary that connects the schools, the

students, educates the parents about the opportunities and educates the businesses as well at how an apprenticeship operates, particularly a registered apprenticeship program, which is shout -- which is so essential for a young person. once they graduate to move to another business with the registered apprenticeship, you know what the training looks like, you know that it's high-quality. an intermediary enables all of that to take place. at the same time, for a large company, even they don't always have the resources, particularly around youth. how to bring a young person into the workplace. this isn't an internship. they are providing productive valuable work. that's why during the pandemic, 68% of our students kept working as apprentices because they are were essential workers. in intermediary makes that possible. >> i meant to say at the

beginning make sure you all try to be concise, but you are naturally concise. i want to ask you a little bit more about how you partnered with local high schools in the academy, specifically how you could build this partnership when so many educators are convinced that college has to be the next step. how are you able to break down that stigma that you must go to college to be successful? it's a mantra that many kids here all the time in school. >> thank you, senator. the key is really getting awareness to the students and the parents like you discussed earlier. and also to the teachers. bringing them in and showing them what careers in manufacturing our light, and what types of skills we actually

built in their careers. our 4g academy started with three, we are going to four, we are going to five next year. it has been a perfect marriage with a lot of the students, like heard today, who aren't sure about what they want to do. and this marries the profession of what career to manufacturing are. they are high skilled, high paying, they have great benefits, they build on the skills like what was spoken earlier. you can go on to get your degree so you can go into advanced manufacturing and technician programs. you can go into engineering. you can go into marketing. we help pay for those. i think the key is that the parents are understanding and the students are understanding how exciting these are, and that

by learning as you are going to school, and working on the job site, i have seen the faces of the students. their eyes are sparkling because they are like, i've seen what i want to do and i have not seen this before and i have not been able to work in an industry that shows me how they are going to teach me skills in order for me to be self-sufficient, add value and purpose on their life. so it's extremely important to continue that. sorry, i'm going long. >> i love the description. we had that expression in front of us. i wanted to get a question over here. you give credit to your high school coordinator. how can other kids -- how do we get the word out to other kids of how attractive and beneficial this program is? >> for me is we got presentations at school multiple

times of apprenticeships, but there's not always schools that have a representative. however i advise other students that might not have that person at their school is going to look for the resources. students that are shy, timid and don't want to go because they feel intimidated because of the person they will talk to. i tell my brother, go do it, no matter what you will find the resources. i go to school, i talked to them and it helps a lot. i was talking to apprentices that were planning you hired. after i saw it all typed together, now i just want to be a representative. i want to go to school. just do it, who cares, you won't lose anything.

>> first question will be for miscarry. up to five high schools. what is you find when the first high school came on board. were you getting this as opposed to the fork -- for your degree? >> most guidance counselors understand that getting a skill -- if you can teach a skill, no one can take a skill for you. -- from you. as we were collaborating with them and show them the types of training we would give them, but students came here. they were quick to get on board. one of the main things was we had to teach that we want a broad, diverse workforce. we want this awareness for all

the students and let's not pigeonhole certain students. once he were able to come together on how we wanted to market the program, it has been very successful. >> had a parents react? >> parents had an open house. i spoke to the parents and they were very interested in the program but they know about toyota, but they have not seen the high-tech robotic field that we have in the program with the tooling. we gave them a tour, they were amazed at the types of careers that their kids could have and how we were going to be partnering with them to teach them those skills. i think letting them be a part of it, letting them feel it, touch it, see it, here it, it

really helps them understand what this type of program is about. >> we were talking earlier about state boards a visit -- state boards of education and you can only be successful getting a four-year degree, may be a two-year degree. how much do you think the issue of what you are trying to do of what toyota is doing, what was figured out, how much is higher ed. and has come along as much is you seen them come along. toledo looks like they're moving the dynamic by being in the community and getting in that direction. it is still believed in four-year degrees and

stigmatizes the past ways that we are trying to talk about. >> certainly you are talking about a challenge that is cultural in our society at large as well as in the education system itself. what i will tell you is they change quickly. what they want is what's in the best interest of their students. what they don't always understand is the value of this type of learning on the career path that it enables. it's not always aligned when your employers need. what you are interested in, industry. they are changing, they are enabling companies to send their employees to get specific training. maybe not a degree, but recognizing a credential is equally valuable.

that needs to grow. it does it move fast, but i think apprenticeship can help support and facilitate more students taking the benefit of the secondary, but doing it in a way that's career aligned and what they want to do with their future and if they are trained to do that. >> sounds like you put two and two together fairly quickly to get you to where you are here today. choosing to get into the workplace. your particular high school you said that they did have information. was that something recently they did that made you aware of other options. may be going into the military with a two or four year degree or did you have to do most of this on your own. >> for my school, there was no work laid out, but there are pioneers.

they existed with other schools that are community colleges. it was going to schools and learning their most are with careerwise and they would come to our school and to boot camps. they did a bunch of sections where all of the workplaces that were hiring this year were there and that's where i'm at pinnacle. i give them my resume and i was like, i want to apply. i submitted my application. that place hired me because that's the only place i applied to, so luckily they hired me. there's a lot of students i have heard that had to do it on their own. like i said, she was a big resource. she took me to my internship, if i needed to do a drug test, she took me there.

taking all of these students in a school bus, going to do all those things to do to get hired. >> i understand you have a conflict, so i was going to give you priority to ask a few questions. >> thank you chairman and ranking member braun and my colleagues in the committee. i always wanted to be in the health committee. this is unbelievable. >> listen, i am here with friends and the two of you particular beings and employers, and i know everybody in this panel has a passion for this. this training issue is huge. the senator and i have been trying, so far unsuccessfully, although we came close in this frontier act to get a program in place that many of you are familiar with. i know senator braun has worked closely, but to get people to the point where they can get

these short-term certificates. we spent so much money as a federal government on higher ed and i'm not against it, but shouldn't we spend money on training people for jobs where they will have a big debt and go into buying a house and buying a car. that's what this is about. our economy post-covid 19 and we are still in the pandemic, but in this time, we need this more than ever. i am saying this to you. we had a conference call with oil and gas industry. the wednesday issued, workforce. in its truck drivers. his technicians on the wealth side. put in disposal wells to have some way to find people to do the work.

right now, more important than ever, i do think it is about it is about the entire economy. these jobs don't require a, degree for an advanced level of training that has been their real when the last several years. it's about everything. it's hospitality. it's executives. so-called white-collar jobs. but still, the biggest concern is among these middle school jobs and just while i've been here, we've gotten some exciting news but the technical education program and i have cochairs and all of you are on it. hit the senate we have a caucus to promote education. funding is increased and to provide more standings for zte and that's all good.

but, in my view, that's not going to solve the problem. because they can't provide the level of training that most of the employers need to be able to fill up the so-called middle income jobs. these are jobs, like welders and machineries in factories. one of the people in the postmortem -- post morning was a manufacturer. as medical technicians and logistic experts. it's people who can help program the computers that are running every factory in america. our idea is very simple. to provide this pell grant funding. it also provided for relatively shorter-term.

to discuss these programs is unbelievable. and if you could see the light at the end of the tunnel, which is after 1012 weeks, you can get a degree that can give you a job, you are much more likely to stick around. unfortunately it it would exceed in a higher ed level. most of the students don't get a degree. i think we can improve the program, that's good, but shouldn't we also permitted for the other purpose for where the students will all get that certificate. when they get that certificate, get a job. so we've all had the situation where someone does get that degree and then they don't have a job at the end because they have a skill that is connecting that in no better way to do it than cde -- zte than the skills programs we have been promoting.

the cosponsors including ranking member braun. i'm grateful that help has allowed her to advance in the senate floor and it was in the manager's amendment for the third frontier bill and i would urge members to take a look at it. if you can help us, that would be great. my hope is that we will find a vehicle here this year to be able to move it forward. so i think the witnesses for being here today. what you are doing in your home states and encouraging more young people to step up and take advantage of these programs in the short-term training programs. every community college in our state is focused more and more. it's a number one priority. they are all doing these programs and so are technical schools. i think it's the best way to begin to fill this jobs cap that we are seeing.

>> senator smith? >> thank you very much to the ranking members in our panel for the testimony and great hearing. i am waiting for senator kaine to come. listen, i constantly hear the stories that you all are telling when i'm back in minnesota about people who are interested with pursuing well-paying high skilled jobs and careers that aren't dependent on a four-year degree. folks like miss navarro who are ready to hit the ground running. you want to go out and work and do things. people who also want to pursue a diverse range of opportunities, as senator portman was saying, from truck drivers and welders to technology, health care and logistics. employers are saying the same

thing, that they need these workers. that's why this hearing is so important, and why it's important we make investments in these kinds of opportunities for people. i want to hone in on the first on the question of registered apprenticeships. this is the question i will direct to you. i introduced a bill called the 21st century workforce partnerships act, which would help better prepare students for high skill in demand jobs. one of the elements of the bill is that it prioritizes partnerships between's schools and employers that have registered apprenticeship programs. so they are employer customized on the job training would pay. please registered apprenticeships seem to be the gold standard for workforce training. in a return on investment is fantastic. workers who are in these programs are seeing average wages of $60,000 a year, which

is really terrific. so, could you just speak to us about your experience and how the registered apprenticeship programs are beneficial not only to your workers, but also to your business? martha: >> thank you for -- >> thank you for the question, senator. it is critical as we move the youth apprenticeship forward. the reason why is that it is a quality frame that guides the apprenticeship. the standards are wet industry contributes, with a train two. and if you are a small company like mine, it's valuable because it's a guide. if you are a company like j.p. morgan chase, or accenture that is having apprenticeships move into the hundreds. for them, they do business in all 50 states. those companies -- those competencies that they help

create through all of the branches throughout the country. that is the powerful tool. it's something senator portman said that resonates with me. this is a complex model. as an intermediary, managing all of the various moving elements, including the registration program, which we support so they can register. if the resources are the same, the outcomes will be the same. so i think the next few weeks here you have an incredibly hard job. i will tell you that an investment in workforce to move this forward, i believe will move the country forward. registration, is it a key component question mark at the same time, without the resources for intermediaries, for chambers, four associations that will bring businesses in and basically handhold until they

learn the system. we won't be making any difference. in 10 years from now we will have a hearing talking about the problems we have. >> we have to do this differently. and i think what you are describing and how registered apprenticeships work is a great example. another thing i think we have to do differently is to get into schools and to high school sooner. so i would love to have a chance to talk with you a little bit about this in my few seconds left. i have been working on legislation with senator graham, that would pull in afterschool providers to help connect young people with employers. very similar to the experience that you had that provide on-the-job training, internships, career exploration and moving into registered apprenticeships and things like what you did. could you talk a little bit about how old you were when you got connected into this, and what difference you think it would make if you had that exposure even earlier in your educational career? >> great question.

so i started my sophomore year in the summer. i started to internships. my summer of sophomore and junior year. one was excel energy and wind with the emily griffith technical college. these leaned me into going into the workforce and going to working instead of college. it was six weeks and i was doing work that wasn't enjoyable, it was work they left off of the interns that wasn't going to be there in the summer. there are internships i can do during the semester, but those are eight weeks. it's the same thing again. it won't be that valuable to me. with the apprenticeship i saw the three years. there is a lot of benefits that would include with the certifications you can get. new connections i can help you with your career. you also get a coach.

the coach helps guide you through those three years and you meet with them every weekend it created a great structure that help me be like, my coach will help me with college classes and i can talk to her about life and i could talk to my supervisors about training that's not going well. they did a six-month training that went with time management. how to dress professionally, i did not know how to dress for the day with my internship. look at me now. i'm here. i know what to do now. public speaking and everything. with all of those resources, and now being 19 years old talking in front of the senate, is a big impact of what i want students to be doing. in colorado. i want to see my little brother, he's 14 years old, i told him to do an apprenticeship. he said, i can't wait until i am a sophomore so i can go into an apprenticeship and be like you.

>> i think you are a good organizer. [laughter] >> thank you for letting us go along. -- go long. >> thank you for having this. this is much needed. if we had one of these hearings every week for the next 10 years, he probably would not be enough. i spent 40 years in education. i am here today because of it. i ran for the u.s. senate, the state of alabama because the last 20 years i've seen our education go to the wrong direction. we have the best education system in the world. for some reason we want change, we will do the things we need to do to make it better. for kids coming up we are different. we are different and still have

different goals. now we have cyber, now we have computer science. the main thing we need to do, in my perspective is what was said a little earlier. we have to expose people to something they want to do. when i got up every day when i graduated from college and went to work coaching and teaching, i loved every minute of it. i think i did a pretty good job. he hit it right on the head and talking about the smile on her face and talking about how she's excited. we have to do something about education. when i ran i talk to groups across alabama, road builders, bridge builders. you better start educating your own, because their education

system doesn't educate people anymore. we indoctrinate. we bring them in and we don't teach the things they need to teach to use her hands. we better start teaching people to use their hands instead of their brains. we have to do that. that's what you are you can have a great life, you can also have fun doing it. i'm here today because of that. i want to thank you, we have a community college in alabama that has one of your partnerships. how does his partnership really work? how do you get involved at community college? >> we have five partnerships in your state. the coalition, which is the

federation -- we pulled together in small, medium, and large businesses. we market to all businesses with the school system. we look at the curriculum of the school system, we help change that curriculum to meet the business needs. we have over 400 companies, small, medium and large with 32 different community colleges involved in our technician program. it is ran by that manufacturing institute now. it works very well, we also teach the teacher and bring them in to our businesses and let them see what is needed. fins to is the conduit to bring

more chapters in. in 2021, we were already initiating nine more chapters. it is definitely something that is out there, very easy to get on the website, anyone can be a proctor and help them with the chapters. >> thank you. i know careerwise, the technical assistance contract with birmingham promise initiative in alabama come up programs like this one, what are parents us is paid -- what are paren apprentices paid? >> what we are seeing is around $15, 16 dollars, even before the pandemic. companies saw the value and wanted to make the investment. more importantly, graduating from the apprenticeship earning 45,000 to $55,000. his is an apprenticeship wage, you have to increase that as

competency increases. this is a path, not just to the middle class, but beyond. >> i remember graduating from college back in 1976. my parents spent a lot of mind for that scholarship, back then it was a lot of mind. my first contract teaching school was $8,500 a year. we've come a long way. you are talking 55,000 for new printed ship -- 55 thousand dollars for an apprenticeship. where lucky to have -- where they can train on the job. >> ranges from their first year, 16 hours a week in the business, second year, three days a week, thinking go to full or part-time pending on postsecondary options. >> what is your percentage of success, people staying in your program? >> we have now graduated to war -- two cohorts, nearly 1000

apprentices in the problem -- program nationally, over 200 businesses ranging from small businesses like those in goshen, indiana, as well as large companies like j.p. morgan chase in new york. what we see in those twofold cohorts is that the equity promise is rising. it is breaking that cement ceiling that i believe exists above students that may not come from the same opportunity or rights of code. they are gaining jobs that pay middle-class wages early on. i would tell you the percentages are in the 30% to 40%, but we are early on those the graduate and matriculate, another 20%, 30% will continue on with postsecondary education, which we view as a win, because they've already spent two years in the practical learning takes place in the workplace, married to the theoretical.

what is important, the company are reporting that her apprentices 91% is efficient, productive as a regular employee. about that. i school student, pre--- train through apprenticeship, coming out alright 91% is effective, the students themselves are finding almost 100%. they say because of the apprenticeship, she had the opportunity to get a credential and move on to postsecondary education. all of our apprentices are saying that this is the path of opportunity, a path of options. >> one thing i would like to say about it, it gives them opportunity to continue their education and really enjoy it. our panel doesn't understand -- if you look at the direction we are heading in public schools, as we speak today, half the kids cannot read over the sixth grade reading level. apprenticeships will teach them

and encourage them to continue to learn to read, learn to write, and do all those things. i think that is another very important aspect at this point. >> senator, you're hitting the nail on the head. what we are seeing, they are not reading at grade level, sometimes many grade levels below. once a apprenticeship and can see where that math and reading is important, high write in email or professional letter, they come up to grade level faster than they would in the classroom. you are 100% right, you're also right, students when they find their passion, like you did, like i was fortunate to do, it accelerates their life and potential that they have is a a him person and contributing member of our country, our society. >> thank you. sorry for going over, mr. chairman. >> that was a great answer and question, wouldn't have missed it for the world. senator baldwin? >> i appreciate are having this hearing in our witnesses today,

thank you so much for your participation. i wanted to make a couple of observations before asking my question. obviously, this hearing focuses on apprenticeship opportunities and a lot of discussion about talking the m people early about how they might progress in their careers and what opportunities exist. i too am hearing for so many of my employers in wisconsin, where a state by the way that has a big manufacturing state. ranking member and i compete, we go back and forth between being first and second with regard to the population in our states involved in making things, and manufacturing.

we are competitive about those things. i wanted to suggest that not only are we hearing today about workforce shortages, but we have some ambitious plans on the bipartisan basis to pass the frontier act and feel the supply chain issues and bring manufacturing for critical supply chain items back to the u.s. we have a bipartisan infrastructure bill that we hope to advance that would really scale up our interest in say getting rid of drinking water laterals, we are going to need a lot more plot -- pipefitters and plumbers in order to get rid of all of our lead laterals in eight years, versus 70 years at our current pace. we need a lot more people. my questions are going to be,

what obstacles exist to what you are doing now, and how do we scale up the type of activities you are engaged in to deal with the workforce issue? i also wanted to know -- note there is another population, that is those who have been displaced from the workforce for a while ran a number of reasons, caregiving for a loved one, incarceration, their job going away during the pandemic and they have not returned. those individuals, i think there is a call for other types of programs. what i have always been supportive of his having some scalable transitional job program that allows us to help

folks who have been out of the workforce for a while to identify the barriers to their employment. we are going to have to work on all fronts, assuming that we get our bipartisan bills across the undersigned -- across the finish line to create a lot of new jobs. what obstacles do you see other businesses having to doing the type of partnership work you are talking about? especially small and medium-size businesses, and how do we scale up from that dramatically? >> thank you for the question, senator. it is the most important question is is this just a nice program, or going to change our country? in manufacturing, you go to the root of the problem and saw that there as opposed to in the warehouse. right now, where that starts is

in our k-12 system. what she shared with you is the counseling she got which was not just go to college, but look air options. part of that is the work that is intermediaries, we do with our schools, to train them. how we work with employers to help train them in a language that is not familiar. if it -- it is if you are in the trade, these are modern skills and opportunities in businesses do not know how to train, particularly small and midsize. having intermediaries that can help train the businesses, the supervisors, coaches, walk them through the registered apprenticeship model. in time, they would become self-sufficient. this is not a quick fix. it is transformational. what i would tell you to scale is to invest in industries to build the comp -- build the training to the contemporary

needs of business today, that those are updated. whether it is intermediaries or chambers or associations that will train and recruit businesses to do this. in the end, they will do it and it will scale. it is in their self-interest. in my company, we are more profitable today, we one processor of the year in large part because of our apprenticeship program. but it takes resources. if we continue to invest in our k-12 and higher in system, -- i'm not suggesting not funding, we need to invest in our education system, but if we do not fund differently in our workforce system, there will be no change. infrastructure that we need in this country, whether it is digital, energy, trades, banking, finance, insurance, it will take an investment to change our workforce and in so doing, higher ed will change. k-12 will become independent. there is a need for resources to

make that happen to scale. the fact is, if other countries can do this, we can do it better. >> did you want to add something to that? >> our program, we were able to scale that up by bringing in small, medium and large businesses and showing that there is a pathway and curriculum and standardized work on how to do this type of program. that's why the manufacturing institute was able to take this on and nationalize the program. on the other obstacles, i think the students face, i'm very vocal about this, is the requirement in the cte, sometimes these requirements change year-by-year, many times,

you may get stuck among pathway and cannot diversify the classes they want to take. i think we need to make it -- make much more flexible programs within the high school, students can take different pathways, not too far in if they want to change. working with our educators, working with the colleges to make sure these are recommended and certified programs that are recognized and that students are rewarded with these types of pathways in order to get their career started. we have been able to show that we can scale this program. for me it is the benchmark in our industry for how to make a

skill or program and take it national. >> thank you. senator romney? >> thank you mr. chairman. thank you for your willingness to test the five today. -- testified today. my state, utah, is the fastest growing in the nation, appointed the census bureau. our employment rate is just over 2%. one of the reasons for that, we have a well-trained, highly educated, highly motivated workforce. as is as are looking for people they can hire in a good economic environment with good taxes and regulations, they find art stay attractive. one of the other reasons we have such an effectively trained workforce is that we have an ample apprenticeship program. a notable example of that is between a company called stall

rail, they make railcars for transit purposes and salt lake community college. under their program, students are trained for three years. this coming year, they will graduate the first cohort of 15 students with associate degrees. no cost to the students. during which they will have gained transferable skills and prospects for high paying employment down the road. stodler was the beneficiary of the trump administration's industry recognized apprenticeship program, which aimed to ask band private industry participation in workforce training by promoted dust promoting apprenticeships. i reset today, because the current administration has plans to eliminate this program or sideline it. programs such as this are essential to help encourage more

apprenticeship programs. do you have any idea why the administration would be trying to end this apprenticeship promoting program? there are some who suggest it may be as a result of unions who do not like these apprenticeship programs. how did the unions feel about your apprenticeship programs at toyota? >> i personally don't know how the unions feel about our program. we work with our skilled trade unions all the time. they are here on site, doing many of our installations for our equipment. for me, i think the main thing is that it must be industry led. it must be in collaboration with small, medium, large businesses

and community colleges. the vast pace of technology right now, we are working on artificial intelligence, to train our team members off-line. there are some a different types of technology that are moving forward so quickly, it is key for the program to be industry led so we can help scale up not only the students, but scale up the teachers, professors, bring them in and show them how these technologies are applied. i feel like whatever program you pick, it must be industry led to be successful. >> thank you. mr. ginsberg, any comment on that front? i agree with her, linking

individuals in their education to a specific company with real applications in mind makes education more effective, freights better opportunities down the road for the student. >> that is essential. the goal of the irap, in the beginning and now are important, how do you streamline the system, make it more responsive to the industry, improve the quality? at the same time, if there's a thing i observed of the last few years, there was confusion about the two, the registered and the irap. the goals can be achieved by either. the learning that takes place in the business, along with what happens in a classroom, changes young people's lives and improves our economy. i have a love for you tech -- u tech, we also work with vectra

that has apprenticeships, they are wanting to expand both to the home market in utah, involved in many of your resorts, they are registering their apprenticeships. whatever we do, like anything a business, it has to continue to improve, certainly within the current registered system, there's room for improvement. we should stay focused on that. whatever model we use, we make sure a response to business. if it is not industry led, it is not scalable. >> thank you. >> senator kaine, you have been waiting patiently? >> thank you for calling this important hearing and for my colleagues, what a great panel of witnesses. i'm so excited about the opportunity this infrastructure bill. i'm very excited about the reconciliation bill we are working on. i view them as very

complementary. the need for investments in infrastructure in our country are massive. at the projects do not build themselves. we need to have the workforce they can carry out this ambitious infrastructure investment. yet there are challenges getting people into, whether it is infrastructure, construction, manufacturing. a recent story from virginia, i was traveling in appellation vert -- apple it showing- appalaichain region. this has a set of persistent challenges. one of the most notable employers there is follow trucks. --volvo trucks. the plant director there said i

could add hundreds more people right now, i want to hire hundreds more people right now, i cannot. i can advertise everywhere, i can do creative things, offer incentives, but i cannot get people to come and apply for these jobs. i was digging into him, what is the challenge. use the phrase, he said you are in manufacturing, you want to share -- so that manufacturing, not in the warehouse. i think there is a real need, particularly in part commonwealth empire the country where we need good jobs for people. there is a need to get to our guidance counselors, into the schools, earlier than high school, we need to start doing early in middle school as students are thinking about prayer paths, explain the options are available to make the livings doing cool things.

most young people do not know much about the workplace. they know what their parents do, they knew would teachers do, they may not know what the spectrum of opportunities are, yet we expect them as highschooler sister picking classes that will equip them for a future when we have not given them the spectrum of what is available. i hope part of what we might do is go into the schools earlier and help with prayer plans and explosive than the breadth of opportunities that are available -- expose to them the breadth of opportunities that are available. this is a bill that has 39 sponsors, it is very bipartisan, but the chair and ranking member of the subcommittee are cosponsors of the bill. basically saying if college is important enough to warrant giving a student of pell grant, if the income qualify, why shouldn't high quality career

and technical information be similarly valued so that students invalid -- families who want to pursue that should be able to get a pell grant, too. we make them flexible, and able students were pursuing college programs part-time to use pell grant's, that is good. we have recently done something, allowed three introduction of pell grant's to folks who are in prison pursuing college degrees. we want them, when they are released to be able to get good jobs and be productive. we do not allow pell grant's to students in high quality career and technical education programs if they are not the length of the traditional college semester. most high-quality career and technical ends -- education classes might be a weeks long. the classroom hours in high-quality cte program are dramatically more intensive than

in programs for which we currently allow pell grant's. this has been estimated to a lack -- add a tiny fraction of expense if -- single digit percent of the budget. i appreciate my colleagues for their support on this. i have one question. at toyota, one of the national skills coalitions continues to talk about the fact that a lot of our workers do not have foundational digital skills when they come into the workforce. that is particularly acute among folks in minority communities. what does toyota do in training to accelerate the digital proficiency of new workers in your training program? >> our program is representative

of the different skills you need. whether it is getting to work on time. we work with the colleges to make sure we look at attendance. the top skill side is working in a team, being able to problem solve, obviously, math and english classes, the wide range of skills they need to be successful. we offer mentors and people to help them if they are struggling in a class. by doing this, i think we can make sure they are successful. we give them tutors, watch their grades, i have interaction with them, you're here on site three days a week, we are truly a

partner with the college of the professor to make sure that student is successful. we do holistically look at the skills needed to help you communicate, understand our requirements and responsibilities that the job requires. we work with them on their head, heart and hands to make sure they can apply all these things to be successful in that pathway. we recruit from inclusive environment and utilize our own members to go out into the school system and show them that someone that looks like me is doing this job. i can do it. >> thank you. >> thank you, senator. senator rosen? >> thank you share hickenlooper,

ranking member. this hearing could not be more timely. their heart their head in their hands, that is a great way to think about our workforce, not just numbers. people. families, communities, our friends. it is a timely topic. i want to build on what senator kaine was talking about. we are going to talk about those math skills or heart skills in school that i do think we have to get in a little bit earlier and show kids earlier in junior high kind of jobs that are there , even for retraining, a different issue. i want to talk about cyber security and advanced manufacturing apprenticeships. these are the fastest growing sectors. parts often, our employers struggled to fulfill the positions, as everyone says, the

workers lack the technical skills or credentials needed to be successful in these kinds of jobs. over the past few years, i've introduced bipartisan bills to create registered apprenticeship programs in cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing that lead to credentials, hopefully partnering with businesses across the country. i increases collaborations, increase the partnership between small business, community college, and state college. local workforce boards, agencies, to target skills development in the communities. where we need to find these growth. can you discuss why it is so important that registered apprenticeships lead to measurable skills outcomes and recognized credentials, so wherever folks go, these skills are transportable, particularly in cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing industries? >> i think what we learned

careerwise with our partners in new york, specifically, they are all fortune 100 companies, they do business in have to stay in this country if not every state. they want one model that they can rely on throughout the country. whether registered -- what a registered apprenticeship thousands give them that validation, the currency. it works for the company and the young person. if mr. navarro went to another state, another company, they can see because of the registered apprenticeship, what she knows, gives her credibility, more than her resume. there's something else you said that is important. career exposure early on in a student's prayer is important. if you walk into many, even elementary schools, you will see banners for colleges. not banners for career. ultimately, we need both. it is not neither or.

if all we tell a young person to be successful is to get a four-year agree and will the third of them actually do, there's is very little equity. apprenticeship come up registered apprenticeship helps build equity into our system. starting with youth. that is why youth apprenticeship can be so transformational. get a student when their brain is still developing. and through that, we are shaping them, training them in a way that will lead to a long-term future for them. yes, registration is key. >> i couldn't agree with you more. even going down to elementary school, i've seen kids with robot programs, they are building robots to do something, created a website welcoming, another one with questions. these are third, fourth graders, 8, 9 years old.

they were having so much fun and gaining skills. if you like to hike, forests, there are jobs. if you go into biology, you could be a forest ranger. i think when you insight -- when you excite kids, you put them on a path, you are exactly right. with tourism and hospitality, we have a lot of people who will be displaced not just in nevada. across this country, that are displaced. we need to do the same thing to retrain our workers, whose jobs may either change or may not -- may come back in a different form or fashion, or may not come back at all. we did give robust relief through the cares act and american rescue plan. but we do need to focus on the retraining or rescaling. those folks in midcareer, how do

we get them into better jobs? >> youth apprenticeship is essentially a professional education and training system, in the context of what we do for our european friends in switzerland. what that means is throughout a person's lifetime, they should be able to retrain. all the work of apprenticeship at the foundation should last a lifetime in terms of the workforce system that is created. in colorado, the government has created an office of professional training with the intent of linking a work systems in a way that supports the worker at any time in their life. a core element of that is credit for prior learning. if you are 45 and have been

displaced, first of all, they have to start at the beginning why did they not get credit for prior learning? that is a tool that makes university more affordable, recognizes the learning that takes place in the work ways which many times is as important as what takes place in the classroom, and gives people the start into a new career. we need a more permeable system and a workforce system that we invest in and is part of the infrastructure you are talking about. it is human if her structure. the real value is not the machines in my factory, it is the people. i wish i could be more specific. obviously, my focus is in youth because it is a foundational element. we need a workforce system that is more permeable, that serves people throughout their lifetime. >> investing in people is always

a good investment. >> i can say an amen to that. >> i know senator braun is trying to get back here. i will briefly install because i know you can get tied up on the senate floor. i have a letter from the governor of colorado, describing the importance of these programs and why we need to make sure, as the u.s. senate, that we find the resources and funding to make sure that we not only continue them can expand them without objection, i would like to submit for the hearing record, this letter to the colorado delegation. as i said, it asks for a shared vision between the federal delegation and the state government. funding for the reauthorization of the apprenticeship act.

and also to ask the senate to support high-quality apprenticeship models such as we have seen today in both cases that allow youth and adults to earn while they learn. i want to thank each of you. i know how busy you are, all three of you, you are so impressive in different ways. and i think it really is a pleasure that you could all join us. i could not appreciate your time more. i guess i don't see senator -- is he close? we will let you off the hook. we will conclude our hearing today. i want to thank our colleague

for helping to organize this. i want to thank our witnesses, mr. ginsberg, ms. curry. you guys are doing the real work, changing the way that the country thinks about skills and learning. in such a way that -- something we have talked about, senator braun and i, making sure we have an arc that covers a person's lifetime and makes sure they have a life that is enriched by additional skills and learning. any senators that have additional questions to ask, and i think senator braun does, he will punish me sure for closing this out. but he can submit those to the record on september 30, and the

hearing record will also remain open for members who wish to submit additional materials. with that, the committee stands adjourned. which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

>> you did a great job. he did a wonderful job. >> [inaudible]