vulnerable to economic swings. Job losses in the last two years have been concentrated in fields that have lower educational requirements. Additionally, blacks and Hispan- ics reside in communities and work in industries, like con- struction and service-related occupations, that have been the hardest hit by this recession.
We expect that many of these jobs will return as the econ- omy continues to grow over the next several years, though we may never return to the pre-recession employment levels. That is why this administration and the Department of Labor, in particular, are committed to providing training and educational opportunities for all Americans struggling to find work in this economy. We want to prepare work- ers for the emerging occupations that will dominate our economy in the future.
Through programs like Pathways Out of Poverty and America’s Graduate Initiative, this administration is taking extraordinary steps to help disadvantaged communities gain greater access to quality education, job training, and good jobs that have eluded many of them for so long.
HE&IT: What is the biggest hurdle to getting more blacks and Hispanics into science, technology and engineering jobs?
Solis: Both the science-technology-engineering-math academic community and workforce look unlike America in their diversity.
Given the importance of STEM fields to our nation’s global competitiveness, it is imperative that the United States produces a large and diverse pool of scientists and engineers. Having more representation of blacks and Hispanics in these fields will fuel our future needs, attract our youth and support them as they climb STEM career ladders.
The department is working to support policies that will produce a world class, highly skilled STEM workforce. We know that education is critical to being able to access good jobs with good wages and benefits. Toward that end, many of our job training programs that serve at-risk, disadvantaged youth, such as Job Corps and YouthBuild, help them earn a GED or high school diploma, and pro- vide training in the fields of clean and renewable energy, what we call ‘green jobs.’
Further, under the Recovery Act, this department has invested approximately $500 million in clean energy training grants and an additional $220 million in high growth and health care training grants. The beauty of these programs is that we encourage grant recipients to partner with educational institutions, which many of
them already were doing. We also are working closely with our sister agency, the U.S. Department of Education, to provide workers with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.
When I talk to students about careers in STEM fields, I point toward my sisters, who are both engineers. I also tell them my own story. My high school counselor told me that I should be a secretary . . . an office assistant. It turns out he was half right. I would become a secretary….the secretary of Labor. I was able to do this with the support of my family, another counselor who believed in me, others who took an interest in my future, and a lot of hard work and perseverance. These experiences are what drive me to provide opportunities for our country’s youth.
HE&IT: What must the education system change to prepare more workers for those jobs?
Solis: The education system – especially two-year com- munity and technical colleges – needs to work closely with employers to guarantee that training and education lead to jobs. The Labor Department works to make this happen through many of our grant programs. The Community- Based Job Training Grant Program is one example. Suc-
U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis talks with a worker during a visit to SpectraWatt, a U.S. based manufacturer of crystalline silicon solar cells.
www.hispanicengineer.com
HISPANIC ENGINEER & Information Technology | 2010
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