U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta on Wednesday promoted apprenticeship programs as key to closing the skills gap to a friendly audience of the National Association of Manufacturers, the powerful trade group that participated in many lawsuits against the U.S. Labor Department during the Obama administration.

The trade group, which held a two-day meeting in Washington, expressed hope for a new tilt toward business-friendly practices from the new leadership at the Labor Department, moving away from the “rough relationship” manufacturers said they had during the previous administration.

“The regulations were not good for business overall,” said Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers. He later added, “We are excited for a new chapter with the Department of Labor and working with you on the skills gap.”

Acosta's remarks focused on apprenticeship programs. President Donald Trump last week issued an executive order to expand the programs and vocational training, with the hope to close the skills gap and reduce any hardships on workforce development programs. Trump's order calls on the Labor secretary to propose regulations that promote development of apprenticeship programs by industry and trade groups.

“It is the policy of the federal government to find more affordable pathways to good jobs,” Acosta said. “We are easing regulatory burdens and eliminating those that aren't effective and shifting funding to those that are.”

Acosta said Labor will work with the U.S. Education Department to enact programs to integrate their work with community college curricula.

“It's an exciting moment for the American economy with 6 million vacant jobs,” he said. “The president is making good on job growth and his top priority, which is jobs, jobs and jobs.”

Acosta said unemployment in the manufacturing sector is 3.2 percent, lower than the national rate of 4.3 percent, and is the lowest it has been since 2001. He said there are 350,000 job openings in manufacturing, the highest number of openings since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics started collecting the data.

“Filling jobs is harder than many understand,” Acosta said. “There is a gap in skills American workers have and skills many of these jobs require. When I visit those factories what I saw is so different. We need workers who know engineering and math to build, maintain and fix machines. Some need coding to run those machines. That is what we are looking for and those workers are in short supply.”

He said the industry should drive the change to promote apprenticeship programs and noted many companies are already working to do so.

Employers, Acosta said, “are in the position to know what skills are needed for today and tomorrow's workplace. We will focus on those high-demand skills. The most obvious benefit is higher wages and ready jobs.”

Copyright National Law Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta on Wednesday promoted apprenticeship programs as key to closing the skills gap to a friendly audience of the National Association of Manufacturers, the powerful trade group that participated in many lawsuits against the U.S. Labor Department during the Obama administration.

The trade group, which held a two-day meeting in Washington, expressed hope for a new tilt toward business-friendly practices from the new leadership at the Labor Department, moving away from the “rough relationship” manufacturers said they had during the previous administration.

“The regulations were not good for business overall,” said Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers. He later added, “We are excited for a new chapter with the Department of Labor and working with you on the skills gap.”

Acosta's remarks focused on apprenticeship programs. President Donald Trump last week issued an executive order to expand the programs and vocational training, with the hope to close the skills gap and reduce any hardships on workforce development programs. Trump's order calls on the Labor secretary to propose regulations that promote development of apprenticeship programs by industry and trade groups.

“It is the policy of the federal government to find more affordable pathways to good jobs,” Acosta said. “We are easing regulatory burdens and eliminating those that aren't effective and shifting funding to those that are.”

Acosta said Labor will work with the U.S. Education Department to enact programs to integrate their work with community college curricula.

“It's an exciting moment for the American economy with 6 million vacant jobs,” he said. “The president is making good on job growth and his top priority, which is jobs, jobs and jobs.”

Acosta said unemployment in the manufacturing sector is 3.2 percent, lower than the national rate of 4.3 percent, and is the lowest it has been since 2001. He said there are 350,000 job openings in manufacturing, the highest number of openings since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics started collecting the data.

“Filling jobs is harder than many understand,” Acosta said. “There is a gap in skills American workers have and skills many of these jobs require. When I visit those factories what I saw is so different. We need workers who know engineering and math to build, maintain and fix machines. Some need coding to run those machines. That is what we are looking for and those workers are in short supply.”

He said the industry should drive the change to promote apprenticeship programs and noted many companies are already working to do so.

Employers, Acosta said, “are in the position to know what skills are needed for today and tomorrow's workplace. We will focus on those high-demand skills. The most obvious benefit is higher wages and ready jobs.”

Copyright National Law Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.