Job training has been a prominent issue during a recession that’s led to massive declines in employment, particularly in sectors such as construction where hiring isn’t likely to rebound to pre-recession levels. For those who’ve been laid off, the effects can be long-lasting. Workers unemployed in the early 1980s suffered a 30% drop in income in the year after losing a job. A decade later their earnings were still 20% lower than their peers who managed to keep their jobs.

For the most part the jobs that left this country were in manufacturing, and not necessarily because they were cheaper abroad. Many Americans simply haven’t wanted to get their hands dirty. Having been convinced that the US is the most educated, developed nation in the world, many feel that a college degree entitles them to a $100,000 per year desk job.

“Essentially, we just need to have flexibility at the local level to meet the needs of each community’s businesses and workforce,” Haslam continued. “This can mean a lot of different things, but the point is to let local demand drive the operation the way we do in business.

From the presser:

“These Recovery Act dollars will go a long way to help unemployed workers prepare for jobs in areas where there are skill shortages,” said Commissioner [James] Neeley. “We are committed to helping as many people as possible who are looking to rejoin the workforce.”

The survey will focus on public and private interest in renewable transportation, sustainable agriculture, and Federal funding focused on the State’s burgeoning green economy. This survey will expand on prior green studies (Growing Green: the Potential for Green Job Growth in Tennessee 2008) by providing current estimates for the number of green jobs and green job vacancies within the 13 labor and workforce investment areas of Tennessee. A focus of the grant is to help workers affected by significant automotive­-related restructurings connect to career pathways in green industries. Additionally, the grant will develop an enhanced on­line self-service labor exchange module to match green job seekers with respective employers.

“That means that access to care is going to be very dependent on the availability of nurses,” Buerhaus said. “Not just in hospitals but in doctors’ offices and nursing homes. You name it, access will be affected, and the quality of care and the safety of care will certainly be affected.” Buerhaus added, “Clearly the patient is going to notice this in a very direct way.”