Simply put, we aren't attracting enough qualified and trained employees to our manufacturing trades and that could very well end the prosperity that we are experiencing today. I am hopeful that SWEA will offer employers the opportunity to attract men and women to our skilled workforce. In addition, the current workforce in the skilled trades is also aging, with most highly skilled workers in their late 40's to early 50's. With this generation expected to begin retiring in the next 10 years, the shortage of workers is expected to grow, leading many to fear that manufacturing overall will become a lost trade and that manufacturers will be forced to move their operations outside of the United States altogether. During their testimony, a number of witnesses shared their thoughts on the growing shortage, and, shrinking supply of skilled workers in manufacturing and construction trades.
Employers recognize that without skilled workers, there is no skilled work.
They look to Washington for help. That is why there is such tremendous support for passage of SWEA, and that support grows with every affected business executive who learns about it. Something has to be done to encourage people to come into our trade. Congress must act to allow small business to properly fill its role in training the next generation of apprentices. Otherwise, our industry is just one generation away from extinction.