The President's High Growth Job Training Initiative

About the Initiative

President George W. Bush laid out the main objectives of his ground-breaking approach for closing skills gaps during remarks to operating engineers in Ohio on Labor Day 2003: “The High Growth Job Training Initiative in this administration is aiming to give workers the skills they need to realize their dreams. It’s a collaborative effort to help team up people with the jobs that are needed, to make sure that the changes in our economy don’t leave people behind.”

President
George W. Bush

"The changing economy can leave people behind if we're not wise. But the changing economy also is good news. It creates higher-paying, higher-quality jobs. And that's what's happening here in America. And that's why it's essential that these kind of programs that we're talking about provide willing souls with the skills necessary to take advantage of it."

~Mesa Community College January 21, 2004, Phoenix, Arizona

This Presidential initiative is a strategic effort to prepare workers to take advantage of new and increasing job opportunities in high growth, high demand and economically vital sectors of the American economy. Fields like health care, information technology, and advanced manufacturing have jobs and solid career paths left untaken due to a lack of people qualified to fill them. The High Growth Job Training Initiative targets worker training and career development resources toward helping workers gain the skills they need to build successful careers in these and other growing industries..

Targeted Industries

To put this approach into action, the High Growth Job Training Initiative identified 14 sectors that fit within the following criteria: (1) they are projected to add substantial numbers of new jobs to the economy or affect the growth of other industries; or (2) they are existing or emerging businesses being transformed by technology and innovation requiring new skills sets for workers. The sectors include:

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao

"The biotechnology, geospatial technology, health care, financial services, and the skilled trades are just a few of the areas that have been as high growth, emerging areas. Leaders in these industries are telling us the same thing: they can’t find enough workers with the right skills for these high-skilled, good-paying jobs…Working together, we can all help close the skill gap and empower workers to access these great emerging opportunities."

~Workforce Innovations 2005 July 11, 2005

Initiative Outcomes

In addition to numerous industry specific solutions, ETA identified a core set of priority solution elements that are common to all 14 target industries. These elements include:

Developing a pipeline of young workers;
Building competency models, career ladders, and career lattices for new and incumbent workers;
Expanding postsecondary training alternatives including apprenticeships and community colleges’ workforce development programs;
Accessing new and/or untapped labor pools;
Transitioning workers from declining industries;
Developing strategies for retaining incumbent workers and updating their skills; and
Engaging small businesses.

The High Growth Job Training Initiative is investing in national models and demonstrations of workforce solutions in these sectors designed to achieve the following outcomes:

Assistant Secretary
of Labor
Emily Stover DeRocco

"The Administration has moved to reform the system by creating the High Growth Job Training Initiative. By partnering with employers and engaging educational institutions, the High Growth Initiative would demonstrate to our system how to put employers back in charge of talent development."

~Economic Development Symposium September 22, 2005

Targeted investment of workforce development resources and support for private and public sector partnerships to ensure the development of workers' skills in demand occupations based on industry need.
Increased integration of community and technical college efforts with business and the public workforce system activities to meet the skills training needs of high growth industries.
Increased opportunities for employers to use apprenticeship training as skills development methodology, combining on-the-job training and academics, to ensure a pipeline of skilled workers.
Providing workers with paths to career enhancing opportunities in high growth occupations.

By expanding the local workforce system's capacity to be market-driven, responsive to local economic needs, and a contributor to the economic well-being of the community, the Employment and Training Administration is promoting workforce quality, enhanced productivity, and economic competitiveness.

Fact sheet on the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative