CEOs are driving solutions to connect students and working adults to pathways that lead to sustained gainful employment. Business Roundtable members are developing a wide variety of programs, partnerships and tools – from apprenticeships and internships to on-the-job training – to address the challenges they face in recruiting and training a skilled workforce.
A diverse and talented U.S. workforce is essential to growing the U.S. economy. Through the Business Roundtable Workforce Partnership Initiative (WPI), CEOs are partnering with education and community leaders to accelerate and expand best-in-class workforce readiness programs in key regions around the country. These training programs are aligned with the needs of students, workers and businesses closest to home.
More than 30 CEOs from leading U.S. companies are working with local colleges and universities in several U.S. regions to fill high-demand jobs in STEM-related fields such as cybersecurity and data analytics, and in skilled trade positions such as technicians, machinists and welders.
Launched in June 2018, WPI is also taking much-need action to:
With the right programs and partnerships, businesses can create and expand pathways to prepare current and prospective employees to grow and succeed in their careers.
Many of the companies leading WPI efforts are providing apprenticeships that connect learning directly to the work at hand—while simultaneously helping employers train and advance employees.
Rather than requiring employees to obtain additional certifications or degrees, which can be costly and time-consuming, some apprenticeships enable companies to provide on-the-job training without the need for specific credentials. Apprenticeships allow students or younger workers to learn real-world lessons from more experienced workers, transferring critical company and industry knowledge from one generation of workers to the next.
-Lisa Davis, CEO of Siemens Corporation and a regional lead of Business Roundtable's Workforce Partnerships Initiative:
Credential Engine grew out of the Credential Transparency Initiative, a project supported by Business Roundtable, which began in 2013. Credential Engine is a non-profit organization working to improve transparency in the credentialing marketplace. By providing a common credentialing language, a centralized registry of credentials and a credential search engine, Credential Engine enables job seekers, students and workers to make informed decisions about credentials and their value.
