Skilled workers laid the infrastructure for America, creating the foundation for millions of Americans to turn hard work into above average pay and greater opportunities for themselves and their communities. The bridges and buildings that form our iconic skylines, the factories that drive our industries, the highways that connect our country and the cars and trucks that carry our families all became reality under the expert hands of builders and technicians, engineers, and artisans.
Today, as our nation looks to the next 250 years, there is an opportunity to build a new era of economic productivity and innovation that benefits generations of working Americans.
Big shifts in the global economy, including evolving manufacturing needs and increasing electrification across industries, require new, expanded, and modernized infrastructure. The surging demand for highly skilled workers who can build and sustain that infrastructure has created a milestone moment for the American people.
There are an estimated 2.1 million skilled trades jobs that could go unfilled nationally by 2030, which span multiple industries, sectors, and regions. That means 2.1 million opportunities for American people and their families, who can benefit from good pay and greater economic mobility that skilled jobs can offer. The gaps range from the estimated 130,000 additional electrical workers needed by 2030 to the more than 350,000 new auto technicians needed by 2029.
No single company or industry can prepare a country for this opportunity on its own. However, we can help address these challenges and strengthen pathways to opportunity for people and their families – if we act together.
That’s why our four organizations – BlackRock, Carhartt, Ford Motor Company, and Google – have come together as founding members of a new Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades. This Alliance will work to help fill hundreds of thousands of open jobs in skilled trades, creating real career opportunities for people and giving them highly in-demand, transferable skills. This will increase their own economic options and mobility as they build the infrastructure for America’s future economic success. We are starting with training in 30 states and have the goal of expanding across America.
The founding members of this Alliance have already been driving impact independently. Now, our four companies are working to multiply our impact in three key areas.
First: Building the pipeline for skilled trades.
By broadening access and exposure to the trades, we can reach more Americans – whether they are students exploring post-graduation options or adult learners seeking a mid-career transition. To do this, we must change the kitchen table conversation and encourage more young people to take that first step toward a career in the skilled trades. Providing clear, accessible pathways into the trades ensures that
more people can transition into fields that offer greater stability, higher wages, and create long-term opportunities in their careers and economic impact for their communities.
Second: Focusing on evidence-based approaches to create the most impact.
This Alliance began with companies sharing what works and applying insights from effective programs. By bringing together the collective know-how of these four companies, this Alliance can reach more people interested in skilled trades in more places.
One proven approach is investing in apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, which create opportunities to earn and learn on the job while receiving sustained mentorship. For many, apprenticeships are a vital option that allows them to gain critical new skills and economic mobility – all without four-year college debt.
To further inform the Alliance’s approach and expand access to knowledge for everyone interested in addressing America’s skilled workforce shortage, we will co-fund a Skilled Trades Report to help measure gaps, track progress, and share best practices in partnership with Burning Glass Institute and Jobs for the Future.
Third: Welcoming a wide range of committed partners to elevate the trades and expand opportunity nationwide.
It will take a collective effort to ensure the economic benefits of the skilled trades reach communities across the country. That’s why our Alliance is focused on building partnerships and welcoming other organizations to join this vital work. We are partnering alongside labor unions, trade associations, and professional organizations across the construction and electrical sectors, as well as nonprofit organizations and education institutions – organizations and institutions that have spent decades building the expertise, local relationships, and pipelines that turn standard jobs into lifelong careers.
This is just the start. Our bold aspiration is to expand this Alliance to include many more organizations and grow training opportunities for skilled roles across America. Public companies, private companies, nonprofit organizations, join us.
The celebration of our nation’s 250th birthday this year – and all of the great achievements that have made the United States the economic engine of the world – is also a celebration of the people that made those achievements possible. The great national experiment America’s founders launched two and a half centuries ago succeeded beyond what anyone could have imagined thanks to the skilled workers who actually built the nation. Along the way, they turned hard work into lasting opportunity.
Working together, we can make that dream a reality for a new generation.
The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.
