Houston, Texas (KTRK) – Recession isn’t what’s important to US Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, but another area, as we’ve discovered, that Houston is currently focusing on.
In an interview on ABC13 only, Walsh said that if he was 18, the field he would go into would be welding, which is a hot commodity right now.
“I think cybersecurity is one of those areas that I’m going into,” Walsh said. “I was also thinking about welding.” It’s a business skill, he said, that more Americans should take into account. However, he noted, getting one of these jobs isn’t always so easy.
“I’m not worried about a recession,” Walsh explained. “I’m not worried about the slowdown in the economy. I think I would say the only thing we have to do is vocational training programs for workforce development.”
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To fix this, Walsh visited San Antonio’s Business Skills Program. He wants to do something similar nationwide. From what we know, Houston already has one.
“The cost of the Houston Gulf Coast Board of Trade’s Apprenticeship Readiness Program is zero,” said Juliette Stepche, executive director of Workforce Solutions. “It’s 100 percent free.” Next year, Workforce Solutions will provide $15 million in scholarships to help 5,000 people enroll in highly skilled job training.
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The Houston Gulf Coast Building and Construction Board of Trade is one of those places, a place that offers three-week pre-professional training. “They teach you to be there early,” said Mylan Ingram, one of the alumni. “They teach you that the apprentices don’t know much. You might do odd jobs like carrying or washing tools at first.”
Ingram passed by and got an apprenticeship. Not only is the course free, but once you get into a certain profession, you earn upwards of $30 an hour as you learn.
“You can change your life,” Ingram explained.
Since the pre-vocational program began, more than 200 have completed it. This month, about 30 more will participate in the course.
So far, 70% of those who finish it with paid apprenticeships end up with business skills Walsh said are essential to the workforce of the future.
“These programs are on the ground, which means you have employers at the table, employees at the table, workforce development at the table, and these programs work when you bring them all together,” Walsh said.
If you are interested in a pre-vocational program, or another apprenticeship program, you can call the ABC13 viewer hotline at 713-243-6663.
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