Senator Katie Britt Questions Labor Secretary on Workforce Initiatives and Child Care

America Works Tour and Workforce Concerns

• 🎯 The Secretary of Labor has launched the "America Works" tour to gather insights on workforce challenges and economic growth.
• 💡 Key concerns heard from American workers include barriers to re-entering the labor force, such as the need for workforce training and support.
• 📈 The goal is to increase the labor participation rate by connecting workforce needs with market demand and filling identified gaps.

Child Care as a Workforce Impediment

• 👶 Child care is identified as a significant barrier for both reliability and recruitment for businesses of all sizes.
• 📊 Approximately 59% of non-working parents want to re-engage in the workforce but are hindered by the affordability and accessibility of child care.
• 💰 Parents spend about 22% of their income on child care for children aged 0-5, and the economy loses $122 billion annually due to reliability issues.
• 🤝 The discussion highlights the importance of empowering parents and encouraging businesses to be part of the child care solution.

Apprenticeship Programs and Future Workforce

• 🛠️ The administration aims to increase the number of apprentices to 1 million to meet economic growth needs.
• 📈 Currently, there are between 680,000 to 700,000 apprentices, with efforts underway to expand registered apprenticeship programs.
• 🚒 An example of expansion includes the International Association of Firefighters launching its first apprenticeship program.
• ✅ Progress is being made, with an increase of approximately 83 apprentices since January, moving towards the one million goal.