|
Earning
While
You’re
Learning
Through
Apprenticeships
The
Ripon
Forum
U.S.
Senator
Tim
Scott
Volume
50,
No.
1
(February
2016)
As
we
seek
ways
to
strengthen
our
economy,
lift
up
those
living
in
poverty,
and
ensure
that
every
person
living
in
our
great
nation
has
access
to
the
American
Dream,
a
key
part
of
the
equation
comes
down
to
job
training
and
technical
skills.
Many
of
the
working
poor
and
those
living
in
poverty
cannot
afford
to
return
to
school,
or
simply
do
not
have
the
time
between
working
two
or
three
jobs
to
support
their
family.
So
if
an
infusion
of
new
jobs
comes
to
their
area,
such
as
the
manufacturing
renaissance
we
are
experiencing
in
my
home
state
of
South
Carolina,
these
hardworking
men
and
women
are
hard
pressed
to
take
advantage
of
those
new
opportunities.
Related
to
this,
one
of
the
most
persistent
problems
facing
our
economy
over
the
past
eight
years
has
been
a
declining
labor
force
participation
rate.
Millions
of
Americans
have
simply
given
up
attempting
to
find
work,
either
because
their
skill
set
does
not
match
the
available
jobs
in
their
area,
or
they
have
become
so
frustrated
with
a
stagnant
economy
they
just
stop
looking.
This
decline
comes
even
as
there
are
more
than
five
million
open
jobs
across
the
country
–
jobs
that
many
employers
explain
are
unfilled
because
of
a
lack
of
available
trained
workers.
In
response
to
these
challenges,
I
am
proud
to
have
worked
with
my
colleague
Senator
Cory
Booker
(D-NJ)
on
what
we
believe
to
be
a
strong
solution
–
the
Leveraging
and
Energizing
America’s
Apprenticeship
Programs
Act,
or
LEAP
Act.
Apprenticeships
are
a
proven
way
to
help
people
develop
in-demand
skills
and
to
meet
the
needs
of
employers,
yet
they
comprise
just
0.2%
of
the
nation’s
workforce.
By
2020,
the
United
States
is
expected
to
experience
a
shortage
of
3
million
workers
with
associate
degrees
or
higher
and
5
million
workers
with
technical
certificates
and
credentials.
Studies
show
that
apprenticeships
are
a
wise
investment
for
both
participants
and
the
government:
individuals
who
complete
registered
apprenticeship
programs
earn
over
$240,000
more
over
their
careers
than
people
who
did
not
participate
in
such
programs,
and
the
tax
return
on
every
Federal
Government
dollar
invested
in
registered
apprenticeship
programs
is
$27.
As
we’ve
seen
in
places
like
my
home
state
of
South
Carolina,
a
strong
program
can
help
people
accomplish
great
things.
Because
of
our
balanced
approach
in
South
Carolina,
we
have
seen
multi-national
companies
like
General
Electric
and
BMW,
as
well
as
many
smaller
businesses
across
the
state,
begin
to
use
the
program
and
provide
new
employment
opportunities
for
individuals.
That’s
why
the
LEAP
Act
is
modeled
after
the
Apprenticeship
Carolina
program,
which
is
built
on
public-private
partnerships
for
students
along
with
a
tax
credit
for
job
creators.
The
bill,
which
is
fully
paid
for,
has
two
main
provisions:
First,
it
offers
a
federal
tax
credit
for
hiring
new
apprentices
that
are
registered
with
the
U.S.
Department
of
Labor
or
a
state
apprenticeship
agency.
Second,
it
addresses
the
fact
that
the
average
age
of
apprentices
is
currently
as
high
as
29
by
offering
a
tax
credit
of
$1,500
for
apprentices
under
25.
The
tax
credit
for
apprentices
over
25
is
$1,000.
When
I
visited
MTU,
an
international
diesel
engine
manufacturer
with
a
production
facility
outside
Aiken,
South
Carolina,
I
was
able
to
learn
firsthand
from
the
employees
and
program
participants
just
how
important
the
program
was
to
their
families
now
and
in
the
future.
At
Trident
Technical
College
in
North
Charleston,
I
watched
how
their
technical
training
matched
with
our
growing
aerospace
industry.
With
such
a
wide
variety
of
industries
looking
to
utilize
apprentices,
from
advanced
manufacturing,
to
health
care
and
information
technology
to
our
tourism
industry,
South
Carolina
has
shown
that
programs
like
this
offer
limitless
opportunity.
However,
perhaps
the
most
powerful
tool
apprenticeships
give
is
simply
the
ability
to
earn
while
you
learn.
Whether
you
are
a
22
year
old
living
in
poverty
and
looking
for
a
way
to
improve
your
skillset,
a
45
year
old
looking
to
change
careers,
or
a
high
school
student
who
does
not
necessarily
want
to
get
a
four
year
degree,
the
ability
to
be
able
to
provide
for
yourself
and
your
family
while
improving
your
future
earning
potential
is
invaluable.
There
has
been
an
increased
interest
in
apprenticeships
over
the
past
six
months,
with
presidential
candidates
discussing
their
importance
as
well
as
high
profile
Members
of
Congress,
and
I
am
optimistic
we
will
find
a
way
forward
this
year.
Our
workforce
is
only
as
good
as
the
tools
we
make
available,
and
expanded
apprenticeship
programs
would
be
a
great
addition
to
the
toolkit.
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