POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS Economic and Workforce Health

Policy Recommendation 8:

States can explore innovative ways to invest in preapprenticeship programs for job seekers to increase basic literacy, numeracy and soft skills among potential workers. The Economic and Workforce Health Subcommittee passed this recommendation acknowledging the need to educate job seekers on essential workplace skills regardless of the individual’s background or experience.

In most states, jobs outpace the number of workers. As a result, employers are willing to hire less experienced workers. These workers often lack workplace readiness skills such as basic literacy, numeracy and soft skills. Arkansas’s apprenticeship incentive allows for an employer tax credit for paid apprenticeship and work-based learning experiences. High-quality pre-apprenticeship programs, aligned with registered apprenticeship programs, build a skilled workforce with higher retention rates.”

State Examples

The YouthBuild program in Alabama offers out-of-school young adults ages 16-24 in the Barbour County area with classroom instruction, lab training and hands-on training at construction sites.5 This program offers pay and supportive skills like mentoring and counseling. The program is welcoming for individuals with criminal and non-traditional education backgrounds.

Hawaii developed a work-based learning continuum in collaboration with employers that emphasizes the development of technical and employability skills and graduating from high school with industry-recognized credentials.6 Work-based Learning connects the gap between school and in-demand, high-skill careers in Hawaii.

Additional Resources

ƒ Apprenticeship USA: Explore Pre-apprenticeship — https://www. apprenticeship.gov/employers/explore-pre-apprenticeship

ƒ Pre-Apprenticeship: Pathways for Women Into High-Wage Careers — https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/apprenticeship/pdfs/pre_apprenticeship_guideforwomen.pdf

Endnotes

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Workforce Services Director Charisse Childers, Arkansas

Employers sometimes cite low levels of adult literacy and numeracy among job applicants as a barrier to hiring. This concern plays out in the national data as well. In a global test of adult numeracy and literacy released in 2017, America’s adult workforce (16-65) was no more skillful in reading or math than it was in 2012.1 In 2020, 62.7 million U.S. adults possessed low numeracy skills2 and 43 million possessed low literacy skills.3

Pre-apprenticeship programs help prepare individuals to enter and succeed in registered apprenticeship programs.4 Pre-apprenticeship classes and programs are designed to prepare job seekers for employment in a specific industry by working on literacy, numeracy and any other fundamental skills needed before one becomes an apprentice. This is especially important in cases involving individuals with non-traditional educational background and those with a criminal history. These programs allow such individuals to enter the workforce and provide them with the resources to succeed.

1 U.S. Department of Education. Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. (n.d.). Highlights of the 2017 U.S. PIAAC Results Web Report (NCES 2020-777). Retrieved Aug. 12, 2022, from https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/piaac/national_results.asp.

2 U.S. Department of Education. Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. (2020). Adult Numeracy in the United States. Retrieved August 12, 2022, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2020/2020025/index.asp

3 U.S. Department of Education. Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. (2019). Adult Literacy in the United States. Retrieved August 12, 2022, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2019/2019179/index.asp

4 U.S. Department of Labor. (n.d.). Explore Pre-Apprenticeship. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from Apprenticeship USA: https://www.apprenticeship.gov/employers/explore-pre-apprenticeship

5 Eufaula Housing Authority. (n.d.). About YouthBuild. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from YouthBuild: https://eufaulahousing.com/youthbuild

6 Hawai'i P-20. (n.d.). Work-Based Learning. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from Hawai'i P-20 College & Career Pathways: https://www.hawaiip20.org/p-20-initiatives/college-career-pathways/work-based-learning/