In his message, Frazier makes the argument that it is in our "enlightened economic self-interest for all Americans to feel like they are participants in our economy. ... Business can step up to provide the leadership this country needs."
He goes on to describe programs that provide apprenticeship or internship opportunities as a good way to help minority youth. Here in Delaware,
Pathways,
Year Up, and
Intern Delaware are three good examples of programs
— and there are others
— that provide meaningful opportunities for everyone to close these gaps. Frazier concludes, “You could argue that the workplace is the last place in America, besides the military and maybe sports, where people can’t choose who they associate with. So we as business leaders can step up and solve many of these economic problems for people."
As technology and artificial intelligence create more frequent economic disruptions, workers with no or limited skills will be left behind – perhaps for years. Employers have evolving job needs. How we prepare, train and match employers with new
hires is a focus of our policy
efforts here at the Delaware State Chamber.
We are currently working with the State's leaders and other stakeholders to create a stipend program called Elevate Delaware. It is designed to help the unemployed and underemployed acquire advanced certifications, and upskill workers looking for a career change. We look forward to sharing more details soon.
