Execs Meet With Labor Secretary to Promote Apprenticeships

US Labor Secretary Thomas Perez (second from right) at the Global Apprenticeships Network board meeting in Washington, D.C.
US Labor Secretary Thomas Perez (second from right) at the Global Apprenticeships Network board meeting in Washington, D.C.

Youth unemployment worldwide has reached crisis proportions. Businesses are often unable to find the skills they need among new graduates, and around the world 621 million youth are not engaged in employment, education or training. What’s more, 51 percent of millennials are underemployed, and student debt is growing.

Obtaining an apprenticeship as a first job allows the young person to benefit from “earning while learning,” which can lead to a lifetime of productive employment. U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez has called apprenticeship “the other college, except without the debt.”

A business-led coalition spearheaded by CEOs representing some of the world’s largest companies, employer associations, and major international organizations have come together through the Global Apprenticeships Network (GAN) to create skills for business and jobs for youth.

gan_group
Secretary Perez (front row, center) met with CEOs and other private-sector representatives, including USCIB President Peter Robinson and IOE Secretary General Linda Kromjong (first row, far right), and BIAC Secretary General Bernhard Welschke (second row, second from right).

USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson joined GAN CEOs and Secretary Perez at a series of events on October 6 at the White House in Washington, D.C. Also present were Linda Kromjong, secretary general of the International Organization of Employers, and Bernhard Welschke, secretary general of Business at OECD.

Coincident with the GAN meetings in Washington, Adecco Group CEO Alain Dehaze published a column on LinkedIn entitled “Employment: A Call to Action for the Next President of the United States.”

Click here to read more about the days events. You can also view a recap on the GAN’s website.

 

Related Content