WASHINGTON, DC – Today, a bill co-introduced by Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), H.R. 7622, the Small Business Workforce Pipeline Act of 2022, was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives 368-52. This legislation would allow SBA Small Business Development Centers to provide information and assistance to small businesses on how to establish and improve work-based learning opportunities, apprenticeship programs, pre-apprenticeship programs, and other job training programs.
“In Wisconsin and across the country, small businesses are struggling to recruit skilled employees, particularly in the manufacturing sector, said Congressman Fitzgerald. In order bolster our supply chains, and reinvigorate the American economy, we must connect our skilled labor market with real-world workforce development that does not require thousands of dollars in student loan debt. This legislation will leverage SBA’s Small Business Development Centers to streamline this process and assist American small businesses and manufacturers recruit talented employees.”
Read the bill here.
BACKGROUND
The economic impact of COVID-19 created an acute labor shortage among small firms and underlined the issue of the skilled labor gap among our workforce. Apprenticeships are among the most successful form of workforce development. They often include paid, on-the-job training alongside classroom education that provides well-rounded experience to workers and equips them with skills that can be used in multiple career paths. Apprenticeships can help assuage the labor shortage for small businesses while also providing a pathway to good-paying jobs without relying on traditional education. If signed into law, SBA Small Business Development Centers will become reliable assets to help alleviate the labor shortage.
