Weekly Address: Partnering With The Private Sector to Spur Hiring

http://political-parties.info/president-obama-news/weekly-address-partnering-with-the-private-sector-to-spur-hiring/

[quote]The President outlines how the government is partnering with the private sector to ensure workers have the skills they need to be competitive and grow the economy.

President Obama’s Weekly Address
http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2011/06/11/weekly-address-partnering-private-sector-spur-hiring

This is the way to go in my opinion. Now we just need benefits until it happens and will it happen in all states? They have to keep trying until something works. Matching companies with employees is a great tool, particularly if they could come up with tax breaks for hiring the unemployed, that way giving the unemployed first crack at openings and not just a selected few. Just my opinion.

I read and posted an outline of this a couple days ago. It is all well and good to retrain workers for future job vacancies that will occur when older workers retire, but what about now? What about the older worker like me? I seriously don't think that if they retrained me, anyone would hire me. I am only about 10 years from retirement myself (if I am ever able to). This program may work for younger people, but it is still not focused on the individuals who have been hurt the most by the recession - people in their late 40's and 50's.

Good point Desp. I think though, that those of us in our 50's can be updated so to speak. My skills are not stale and companies do need operations people, like I said, I would just need to update a little. Every job needs training, no matter what your skill set or education level, every company is different. I am just hoping like I said above that the long term unemployed get the first crack at being interviewed for these new positions, but in the meantime, benefits are sorely needed until it takes place. I worry at 56 more about the cost to insure us, which is the new sticking point for many companies

Legislation needs to be included in any bill that discrimination against the unemployed and the middle aged worked will not be tolerated.

I am trying to find the link to the article, but from what I understand, they will be retraining for skilled trades in manufacturing that will soon be vacant due to older workers retiring. It mainly benefited the younger people just entering the workforce. It wasn't retraining to refresh the skills we already have.

Found it! It is a program partnering with community colleges to retrain for the manufacturing sector:

President Barack Obama says the growth of the U.S. economy will depend in part on training new workers for jobs in the manufacturing industry.
The effort, Skills for America's Future, links businesses with community colleges to help students gain the skills they will need in the emerging workplace. It also encourages workforce development strategies, job training programs and job placements.

Obama says the initiative could help prepare 500,000 community college students for careers in manufacturing.

"Right now, there are people across America with talents just waiting to be tapped, sparks waiting to be lit. Our job is to light them. And there's no time to lose when we've got folks looking for work, when we've got companies that need to stay competitive in this 21st-century economy," he said.

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/06/obama_promotes_job_training_as.html