During Thursday's House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing, Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT) questioned Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer about the disconnect between educational institutions and industry.
00:00I recognize for his five minutes of questioning the vice chair of this committee, the gentleman from Utah, Mr. Owens.
00:06Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, good seeing you again, Madam Secretary, and to say the least, it's an honor to work with you as a colleague.
00:14Also, I'm very excited about the innovation you're going to bring to this department that you're now leading.
00:19By the way, I did get the call, everybody, and I would say that that is an indication of the partnership that you understand, bipartisanship, and also the hustle.
00:27And both are needed right now in your position.
00:30We're facing a tidal wave when it comes down to demand.
00:34We have, as mentioned earlier, a $7 million worker deficit, and we have $10 trillion being invested.
00:41So we have to truly bring innovation into this process and work together to make this all work.
00:47Madam Secretary, President Trump had, and some of the stuff you've touched on a little bit, but I'm going to allow you to maybe add in more comments.
00:53President Trump has made it a goal to reach and surpass the $1 million new active apprenticeships.
01:00We know that there's employees across the country, employers across the country, that want to be more involved to find a current system very challenging to navigate.
01:08What reforms can be made to better facilitate employer engagement with the registered apprenticeship program?
01:15Again, this is the exciting part of this new administration.
01:20What President Trump did in the first administration, he's kind of doubled down on the second administration, that the American worker will come first,
01:28and that I will work with all organizations, whether it's organized labor, labor, private business, private sector.
01:35We want to entice all companies, private and public, to invest in their workforce in order to get to that pipeline of a million apprentices.
01:45I mentioned earlier, and I'm not sure, Congressman, if you were here, the International Association of Firefighters.
01:51We hosted them at the Department of Labor specifically because they were launching their first apprenticeship program,
01:56because we know we need the workforce for our firefighters and our first responders and our wildland firefighters as we move through.
02:02I had a conversation with law enforcement.
02:05They're considering registering apprenticeships for law enforcement officers.
02:09How exciting would that be, that our first responders and our law enforcement would step up and want to know that their pipeline is now respected
02:15and they could register with the Department of Labor.
02:18This is not only good for the country.
02:20It's good for the public to see that the private sector is investing in the future of this country and protecting that American worker.
02:27So I will be the conduit.
02:29I will bridge that gap.
02:31I will fill that table every single time.
02:34That's what the President of the United States asked me to do, and that's why I'm willing to work across the aisle
02:38for the best policy of this country so that everyone can attain the American dream.
02:44By the way, that's going to be music to the ESPN, Utah firefighters, for sure.
02:47Just met with them recently.
02:49We often hear from businesses that there's a disconnect between the educational system and industry,
02:53which results in workers unprepared to enter the workforce.
02:56Again, you might have touched on this a little earlier.
02:58You might want to just dig a little deeper.
02:59But what steps does the Department take to bridge that gap, and how can Congress help to address this issue?
03:07Congress does a wonderful job in understanding the issues if they're on the ground.
03:11I want to be the storyteller for you as I travel around this country so that you do navigate the system
03:18and make good policy that will withstand the test of time.
03:22That is what the President is doing.
03:24He's looking the future of 100 years out.
03:26We're not looking for policies that will be overturned.
03:28And it is my goal to understand that, you know, no longer is just a four-year degree what we want to see.
03:36We're seeing so often that technical schools, centers of excellence, community colleges,
03:42we understand that there's six-month certificates, 12-month.
03:45Some of these apprentice programs are four and five years,
03:48but they're producing mortgage-paying jobs for their families to protect those families,
03:54that they can determine where they want to live, where they want to invest, where they want to raise their kids.
03:59That's the freedom and prosperity that people are looking for.
04:02And it is the Department of Labor's honor to actually assist in that
04:07and help Congress determine what that can be.
04:09So I hope we continue to work together.
04:11I hope as a former colleague you understand that this is an honor to serve at the pleasure of the President,
04:16but it's really an honor to serve the American people
04:18and change the way we have done business for far too long,
04:21where government has been an adversary as opposed to an ally.
04:24And I want to be an ally for the American worker and the American business.
04:28I actually covered my next question, so I'm going to be able to give some more time back.
04:32But I'll just say this.
04:33Your background as a business owner and mayor, you understand what return on investment is,
04:37and that's what we need in government.
04:38So thank you for taking on this position and look forward to work with you.
