Building America's Skilled Technical Workforce (2017)
Chapter: Front Matter
Building America’s
Skilled Technical Workforce
Committee on the Supply Chain for Middle-Skill Jobs:
Education, Training, and Certification Pathways
Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy
Board on Higher Education and Workforce
Policy and Global Affairs
Board on Science Education
Division on Behavioral and Social Sciences
National Academy of Engineering
A Report of
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
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This activity was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-1406910; Contract No. HHSH250200976014I/HHSH25034024T with the Health Resources & Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Contract No. HHSP233201400020B/HHSP23337006 with the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Contract No. DOL-OPS-15-P-00071 with the U.S. Department of Labor; and a grant from the Spencer Foundation; with additional support from the National Academy of Sciences W. K. Kellogg Foundation Fund. This study was also funded in part by a grant from JPMorgan Chase.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.
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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Building America’s Skilled Technical Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: https://doi.org/10.17226/23472.
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COMMITTEE ON THE SUPPLY CHAIN FOR MIDDLE-SKILL JOBS: EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND CERTIFICATION PATHWAYS
Jeff Bingaman (Chair), Former U.S. Senator, New Mexico
Thomas R. Bailey (Co-Chair), Director, Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University
Katharine G. Frase (NAE) (Co-Chair), Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, IBM Public Sector (retired)
David S. C. Chu, President, Institute for Defense Analyses
Rita R. Colwell (NAS), Distinguished University Professor, Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, University of Maryland College Park, and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
Gary Hoachlander, President, ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career
Harry J. Holzer, John LaFarge Jr. S.J. Professor of Public Policy, McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University
Francine Lawrence, Executive Vice President, American Federation of Teachers (retired)
Jennifer McNelly, President, 180 Skills, LLC
Elizabeth Mertz, Associate Professor, Preventive & Restorative Dental Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of California, San Francisco
Paul Osterman, Nanyang Technological University Professor of Human Resources and Management, Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Annette Parker, President, South Central College
Susan K. Sclafani, Pearson Foundation (retired)
Mark Tomkins, President and CEO, German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest
PROJECT STAFF
BOARD ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND ECONOMIC POLICY POLICY AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS
Gail Cohen, Board Director
Sujai Shivakumar, Study Director
Jeff Alstott, Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellow
David Allen Ammerman, Financial Officer
David Dierksheide, Program Officer
Fred Lestina, Senior Program Assistant
Erik Saari, Senior Program Assistant
BOARD ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE POLICY AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS
Tom Rudin, Board Director
BOARD ON SCIENCE EDUCATION
DIVISION OF BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES AND EDUCATION
Heidi Schweingruber, Board Director
Margaret Hilton, Senior Program Officer
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING
Ken Jarboe, Senior Program Officer
BOARD ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND ECONOMIC POLICY
For the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, this project was overseen by the Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy (STEP), a standing board established by the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering and the Institute of Medicine in 1991. The mandate of the STEP Board is to advise federal, state, and local governments and inform the public about economic and related public policies to promote the creation, diffusion, and application of new scientific and technical knowledge to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the U.S. economy and foster economic prosperity for all Americans. The STEP Board and its committees marshal research and the expertise of scholars, industrial managers, investors, and former public officials in a wide range of policy areas that affect the speed and direction of scientific and technological changes and their contributions to the growth of the U.S. and global economies. Results are communicated through reports, conferences, workshops, briefings, and electronic media subject to the procedures of the National Academies to ensure their authoritativeness, independence, and objectivity. The members of the STEP Board and staff are listed below:
Richard K. Lester (Chair), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Jeff Bingaman, Former U.S. Senator, New Mexico
Ellen R. Dulberger, Dulberger Enterprises, LLC
Alan M. Garber (NAM), Harvard University
Ralph E. Gomory (NAS/NAE), New York University
Michael Greenstone, The University of Chicago
Arati Prabhakar (NAE)
Luis M. Proenza, University of Akron
Kathryn L. Shaw, Stanford University
STEP Staff
Gail Cohen, Board Director
Jeff Alstott, Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellow
Paul Beaton, Senior Program Officer
David Dierksheide, Program Officer
Fred Lestina, Senior Program Assistant
Erik Saari, Senior Program Assistant
Sujai Shivakumar, Senior Program Officer and Study Director
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Preface
Skilled technical occupations—defined as occupations that require a high level of knowledge in a technical domain but do not require a bachelor’s degree for entry—are a key component of the U.S. economy. The United States needs a workforce with the right mix of skills to remain competitive while fostering greater innovation and boosting shared prosperity.
In response to globalization and advances in science and technology, American firms are demanding workers with greater proficiency in literacy and numeracy, as well as strong interpersonal, technical, and problem-solving skills. However, employer surveys and industry and government reports have raised concerns that the nation may not have an adequate supply of skilled technical workers to achieve its competitiveness and economic growth objectives. American policy makers therefore need to consider whether they are creating the conditions that will encourage citizens to prepare for technically oriented, skilled jobs. The implementation of the recently reauthorized Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 represents an opportunity for federal, state, and local policy makers to make the U.S. system for workforce development more demand-driven and accountable.
In response to the broader need for policy information and advice, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened the Committee on the Supply Chain for Middle Skilled Jobs to examine the coverage, effectiveness, flexibility, and coordination of the policies and various programs that prepare Americans for skilled technical jobs.1 To carry out this charge, the committee undertook a review of the salient academic and evaluation literature, commissioned a series of papers on key topics, convened a national symposium, and consulted numerous experts to gather evidence and incorporate diverse viewpoints to inform its deliberations.
This consensus report, which provides the committee’s conclusions and action-oriented recommendations for improving the American system of
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1 Although the committee’s name includes the phrase “middle-skill,” this report describes this workforce as “technically skilled,” a term the committee determined to be a more appropriate designation (see Chapter 1).
technical education, training, and certification, is a result of this broad-based effort. It is the committee’s hope that this report will guide policy makers and administrators, educators, employers, labor organizations, and other stakeholders in preparing Americans for well-paid technically skilled jobs that meet local and national needs to support a robust economy.
This study reflects a collaborative effort across several boards and program offices of the National Academies: the Board on Higher Education and Workforce, the Board on Science Education, and National Academy of Engineering Program Office. The study was led by the Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy (STEP).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
On behalf of the National Academies, the committee expresses its appreciation for the insights, experiences, and perspectives made available by the authors of the papers we commissioned and to the participants in the symposium and meetings we convened over the course of this study. We particularly recognize Margaret Polski for her assistance in preparing a draft of this report and in responding to the comments of reviewers. In addition, we thank Alicia Sasser Modestino for her valuable contributions to Chapter 2 of this report. We also recognize David Dierksheide, Fredric Lestina, and Erik Saari of the STEP staff, along with Rita Johnson, for their contributions to the report’s preparation.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF REVIEWERS
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process.
We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Marilyn Barger, Hillsborough Community College; Crystal Bridgeman, Siemens Foundation; Ellis Cowling, North Carolina State University; Alicia Dowd, Pennsylvania State University; Miles Free, Precision Machined Products Association; Kevin Hollenbeck, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research; Melissa Kearney, University of Maryland; Livia Lam, Learning Policy Institute; Robert Lerman, American University; Daniel Marschall, AFL-CIO; Mary Alice McCarthy, New America Foundation; Darlene Miller, Permac Industries; Sanjay Rai, Montgomery College; Ursula Renolds, ETH Zürich;
James Stone, National Research Center for Career and Technical Education; Michelle Van Noy, Rutgers University; and Michael Wolf, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Cora Marrett, University of Wisconsin, and Robert Sproull, University of Massachusetts. Appointed by the National Academies, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.
| Jeff Bingaman | Sujai Shivakumar |
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Contents
1 THE SKILLED TECHNICAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGE
1.1 Key Challenges for Developing a Skilled Technical Workforce
1.3 Study Charge, Scope, and Approach
1.5 Structure of the System for U.S. Skilled Technical Workforce Development
1.6 A Network-Centered Approach
1.7 Organization of This Report
2 LABOR MARKET PATTERNS AND TRENDS
2.1 The Supply of and Demand for Skilled Technical Workers
2.2 Local and Sectoral Trends in the Demand for and Supply of Technical Skills
2.3 Trends in Supply and Demand in Health Care
2.4 Trends in Supply and Demand in Manufacturing
2.5 International Perspectives: OECD Countries and Partners
3.1 The Policy Agenda for the Skilled Technical Workforce
3.2 The Polycentric Policy Landscape
3.3 Federal-Level Policies and Programs
3.4 Federal Legislation Under Consideration
3.6 Current Policy Issues Related to Developing a Skilled Technical Workforce
4 THE COMPLEX U.S. SYSTEM OF WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING
4.1 Education and Training as a Quasi-Public Good
4.2 The Primary Components of Workforce Development
4.3 Other Postsecondary Education and Training Programs
4.4 Funding for Skilled Technical Workforce Education and Training
5 CHALLENGES IN DEVELOPING A SKILLED TECHNICAL WORKFORCE
5.1 The Return-on-Investment Calculus
5.2 Impediments to Better Training Outcomes
5.3 Challenges in Training and Transitioning the Skilled Technical Workforce
6 KEY LESSONS FOR PROGRAMS AND POLICIES
6.2 Linking Secondary and Postsecondary Education and Training
6.4 Employer-Based Training Programs
6.5 Improving Linkages through Better Data
7 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A AGENDAS OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Boxes, Tables, and Figures
BOXES
1-1 An Array of Skills and Competencies
1-3 Papers Commissioned for This Study
1-5 Building a Network of Solutions—An Example
3-1 Every Student Succeeds Act
3-2 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
3-3 What are the STEM Capabilities?
4-1 Apprenticeships: Challenges from Concept to Application
4-2 Working Definitions of Alternative Credentials
4-3 The Alliance for Employee Growth and Development, Inc.
5-1 Factors Affecting Unemployment Compensation for Ex-servicemembers (UCX) Applications
5-2 Workshop on “The Military as a Pathway to Skilled Technical Jobs”
6-1 Key Features of Wraparound Services
6-2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Report on Online Learning
6-3 Make It Real and Make It Fair
6-6 Community and Technical College–Employer Partnerships
6-7 The Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy
6-9 Key Lessons from Foreign Apprenticeship Systems
6-10 Wisconsin AFL-CIO Regional Training Partnership
6-12 U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Talent Management Principles
7-1 Summary of Selected Recommended Actions for Stakeholders
TABLES
3-1 Federally Funded Employment and Training Programs by Agency, Fiscal Year 2009
3-2 State-Level Policy Making on Career and Technical Education in 2014
4-2 Community College Revenues by Source (2013-2014)
4-3 Participation in Job-Related Courses and Apprenticeship Programs in 2005
5-2 Uniformed Armed Forces Strength Figures as of January 31, 2016
FIGURES
1-1 Likelihood of positive social and economic outcomes among highly literate adults
1-2 Skilled technical workers by major occupational group
1-3 Overview of the components of U.S. system for skilled technical workforce development
2-2 Difference in migration rates of workers in most- and least-licensed occupations
2-3 Cities with higher information technology (IT) demand than IT supply
2-4 The evolution of skills required in production occupations
3-2 Annual federal funding for postsecondary education and training
4-2 Number of degree-granting institutions with first-year undergraduates
4-3 Postsecondary enrollment in degree-granting institutions by age group in 2015 (projected)
4-4 Sources of revenue of all postsecondary institutions
5-1 Revenues per full-time equivalent (FTE) student, 2007-2008 and 2012-2013
5-2 Business areas most affected by the talent shortage
5-3 Age of uniformed active duty personnel in fiscal year 2014
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Abbreviations and Acronyms
| AACC | American Association of Community Colleges |
| ACTE | Association for Career and Technical Education |
| ASAP | Accelerated Study in Associate Programs |
| ATD | Association for Talent Development |
| ATE | advanced technical education |
| BEA | Bureau of Economic Analysis |
| BLS | Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| CBO | Congressional Budget Office |
| CPI | Career Pathways Initiative |
| CPS | Current Population Survey |
| CSW | Corporation for a Skilled Workforce |
| CTE | career and technical education |
| CUNY | City University of New York |
| CWS | Credentials for Work Survey |
| DoD | U.S. Department of Defense |
| DOI | U.S. Department of the Interior |
| DOL | U.S. Department of Labor |
| ED | U.S. Department of Education |
| ESSA | Every Student Succeeds Act |
| FAFSA | Free Application for Federal Student Aid |
| FTE | full-time equivalent |
| FY | fiscal year |
| GAO | Government Accountability Office |
