I was asked this morning for my interpretations from the elections last week. There are many answers, but for me, regardless of who you voted for, a few takeaways are clear. The voting public lost its patience long ago with inaction – especially on issues where there is broad agreement. Elected officials would be wise to consider two very important solutions:
-
It has been well documented for decades that our aging infrastructure needs rebuilding and upgrading. Tackling these important projects will benefit millions by delivering clean water, transportation efficiencies, technology, and more to people and businesses everywhere.
-
The availability of low skill, hourly wage jobs has been in decline for decades and that trend continues today at an even faster pace. The challenge is to train young people leaving school with certificates and credentials necessary to start careers with a future. However, and this is very important, we need to retrain an even greater number of people already in the workforce for good paying jobs and careers employers are desperate to hire. Only 3% of the workers needed each year come out of schools at a young age. The remainder are already in the workforce and need training to improve their chances for long term job relevance and progressively higher wages. Workforce training needs to continue to be a top priority.
With greater investment in human capital and public works projects that benefit us all, voters with deep personal fears of job loss, economic success, and frustration about their future may improve. Progress will be incremental and take time. However, having better infrastructure and a ready workforce will aid employers and employees for this decade and beyond.
