The Championing Apprenticeships for New Careers and Employees (CHANCE) in Tech Act—or H.R. 3174—was reintroduced via bipartisan efforts this year after originally being introduced in 2017. Here are two things you need to know about it if you’re a learning and development (L&D) or an HR professional.
CHANCE Can Boost the Effectiveness of U.S. Organizations’ External Partnerships and Talent Funnels
CHANCE would allow high schools and community colleges (also known as “industry intermediaries”) to use federal grant money to create technology-related apprenticeship programs. And organizations will be able to hire individuals from these apprenticeship programs or help develop the programs’ curriculum to recruit and hire talent.
Organizations can also help these industry intermediaries expand their apprenticeship programs and offerings for more on-the-job training opportunities, making them more desirable and competitive among jobseekers.
Essentially, CHANCE will help organizations build stronger and more effective external partnerships with schools in their communities, allowing them to solidify or expand valuable external partnerships for both recruitment and training.
With CHANCE, organizations will have opportunities to develop apprenticeship programs while having a steady funnel of tailored and high-quality talent that fits their specific needs.
CHANCE Can Help Fill STEM-Related Jobs Going Unfilled and Close the Skills Gap Inside the U.S.
According to research, 80% of the fastest-growing careers in the United States require employees to have some form of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. However, statistics and research also indicate that the current U.S. education system is unable to fill STEM-related positions, leading to a growing skills gap and many tech jobs going unfilled.
There are currently over 500,000 vacant computing jobs nationwide, and without change, this number is only expected to grow. But CHANCE would provide jobseekers with the skills they need for STEM-related jobs that are currently going unfilled while giving organizations the skilled labor they need to compete in the 21st century.
CHANCE would significantly boost the U.S. economy, too, as it would attract talent to U.S. organizations via U.S.-sponsored apprenticeship programs. All in all, organizations would have high-quality talent cultivated inside the United States, and U.S. workers would be better able to compete and retain employment in the current workforce.
Overall, the CHANCE in Tech Act, or similar legislation, will be needed to:
- Keep tech-related and STEM-related jobs filled inside the United States.
- Ensure the U.S. economy remains strong and competitive amid a growing global economy.
- Fill the growing skills gap so that college students and working adults are better prepared to participate in the 21st-century workforce.
- Give organizations of all shapes and sizes the ability to compete in the 21st century.