Workforce Development Recruiting and Training a Skilled Workforce
Adriane Harrison, Director, Human Relations, Printing Industries of America
Printers are facing a pre- dicament—finding skilled workers who can be recruited and trained to run presses, binders, and other printing machinery. As skilled labor is becoming more difficult to find, printers are also facing the “Silver Tsunami” of retir- ing print workers, adding to the severity of the problem.
The Magazine 10
SUMMER 2017
Printers are not the only ones hurting for skilled labor, so they must compete for new workers against other man- ufacturers, the health care industry, construction fields, and the trades. Researchers estimate that 30 percent of all job openings in the next decade will require less than four years of postsecondary education. Due to the increasing demand for skilled labor, the time to recruit and retain print workers is now.
While these challenges are daunting, solutions are under- way. First, with sweeping bipartisan support, the Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) bill has been reau- thorized by the House of Representatives and is moving through the rest of the authorization process. The Perkins Act provides federal funding to states for high school and community college career and technical education, such as teaching skills needed to operate modern printing equip- ment. This newest version of the Perkins Act increases CTE funding by 9 percent over six years.
In addition, President Trump has stated his support for CTE programs and signed an executive order expanding apprenticeship programs and vocational training. The executive order calls on the Secretaries of Labor, Education, and Commerce to work together to propose regulations that promote development of apprenticeship programs by busi- nesses, trade groups, nonprofit corporations, unions, and
Benjamin Franklin as an apprentice (Published in the U.S. before 1923 and public domain in the U.S.)
joint labor-management organizations. Printing Industries of America (PIA) is reaching out to the Department of Labor to be a voice for the print industry in the development of these programs.
The anticipated financial support for CTE makes working in manufacturing or other skilled labor an attractive career option. The College Board reports that a moderate college budget for in-state tuition to get a four-year degree will cost around $100,000. Post-collegiate student loan debt payments average $351 monthly. After adding in the aver- age cost of renting an apartment (approximately $700 per month); owning a car ($561 per month); and the essentials, such as food, utilities, cell phones, and recreation, many graduates cannot comfortably support themselves.
Alternately, the average cost of a trade school education totals just $33,000. Not only is there a dramatic imme- diate cost savings, CTE students have the added benefit of securing an apprenticeship that will pay a respectable wage while they are learning. The high demand for skilled labor promises students will be able to use their degree, which cannot always be said about many students with a bachelor’s degree.
PIA has begun reaching out to lawmakers about CTE fund- ing and will continue reaching out to policy makers and helping devise methods to diminish the impact of the Silver Tsunami to our industry.
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
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