cessful applicants for these grants, many of which are community colleges, are required to name the business- es that they will partner with as they create or expand training programs.
HE&IT: What shortcomings do you see in the job retraining programs that are out there? How do you overcome them?
Solis: We have heard anecdotally that some workers are being wait-listed for certain Labor Department-funded programs. Expanding the capacity of training programs so they can serve more workers is how we address this deficiency. The department will be opening up grant competitions in the coming months that will allow col- leges and other training providers to serve more work- ers. There are so many high-quality training programs out there, and we need to make sure that all workers who want to enroll in training are able to do so.
HE&IT: President Obama talks a lot about renew- able energy being the next big driver of economic growth. Can that happen without some kind of cap- and-trade or carbon tax legislation to change the economics of energy?
Solis: For decades it has been clear that the way Ameri- cans produce and consume energy is not sustainable. Our addiction to foreign oil and fossil fuels puts our economy, our national security and our environment at risk.
The president already has made great strides toward changing our energy future. The Recovery Act consti- tuted an unprecedented and historic investment in the clean energy economy – to strengthen our clean energy industries, reduce our energy use, and preserve and cre- ate good, green jobs that cannot be outsourced.
Clean energy jobs will be a key driver behind America’s economic recovery and sustained economic stability. That is why I authored the Green Jobs Act as a mem- ber of Congress and it is also why the Department of Labor is investing $500 million in projects that prepare workers for careers in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
I’ve seen these projects and others first-hand in my trav- els and [in] meetings with workers across the country. They are making a difference – a difference for workers, their families, and our environment.
The president has been working with and urging
Congress to pass comprehensive energy and climate legislation to protect our nation from the serious eco- nomic and strategic risks associated with our reliance on foreign oil, to create jobs, and to cut down on the carbon pollution that contributes to the destabilizing effects of climate change. He intends to keep pushing for broad reform, including climate legislation, because if we’ve learned anything from the tragedy in the Gulf, it’s that our current energy policy is unsustainable.
HE&IT: What other drivers do you see for the nation’s economic future?
Solis: The provisions of the Recovery Act – the tax cuts, the state fiscal relief, the support for displaced work- ers, and the infrastructure investments – all contributed to a broad-based recovery and set the stage for future economic growth with new, high-paying jobs.
Since the start of the recovery, we have seen steady growth in consumer spending, increases in business investments, and consistent growth in exports, all of which have contributed to a balanced growth in GDP.
With regard to specific occupations where we may see growth reflected, according to the Council of Economic Advisers, over the next two decades jobs that require at least an associate degree will grow twice as fast as jobs with only a high school requirement.
Among the industries expected to have the highest rates of growth are healthcare, information technol- ogy, advanced manufacturing, and green jobs. Many of these jobs [are] in industries with very skilled workforc- es—with about three-quarters of workers age 25 to 54 in healthcare and professional and business services hav- ing completed at least some college—and the demand for high-skilled workers [is] likely to keep growing.
Healthcare is expected to account for the largest growth over the next decade, especially in careers in electronic medical records, health IT, nurses, and lab technicians.
The construction industry is expected to recover and the decade’s long decline in manufacturing is expected to moderate with aerospace and pharmaceuticals taking the lead in creating many jobs. Clean energy industries also will lead to a high growth in jobs, particularly in clean energy production and environmental protection.
As our economy continues to recover, we already are seeing a return to growth in many of these industries and continued strong growth in health care.
22 HISPANIC ENGINEER & Information Technology | 2010
www.hispanicengineer.com
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