that elite kids get from their parents.^205
At a deeper level, what’s needed is a very different kind of education-to-employment
system. Its key elements were outlined in 2015 by a task force convened by the Markle
Foundation. Companies need to better define what skills they need, and develop private-
public alliances to develop a local talent supply chain. High schools, community colleges,
and universities should work with local businesses and with unions to develop
educational and training programs that lead to industry-recognized certifications that
provide employers the assurance that a worker has specific skills needed for specific jobs.
Beyond high school, the programming should be relatively short; flexible and part-time
programming works best for adults who are working and caring for families at the same
time as they are continuing their educations.^206 “And how do you propose they go back
to school and pay for it if they don’t have a job? That is the Catch-22,” remarked Bill
Parks.* The educational system that works well for the professional elites does not reflect
the realities of working-class lives. What’s needed are targeted, fit-for-purpose credential
programs. Participants trained for a job that then disappears could return to train for a job
that’s just being created.
Creating a smooth education-to-employment pipeline is not a new idea. Over 70 years
ago, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the National Electrical
Contractors Association worked in partnership to create a training program, delivered
through local affiliates, combining apprenticeships, remote online education, and personal
coaching. The program has enabled hundreds of thousands of workers to earn credentials
as wiremen or installers.^207 This is a key role unions could play if, alas, they were not so
embattled they need to spend disproportionate resources on just trying to survive.
Another example is the Automotive Technical Education Collaborative (AMTEC), a
partnership between Toyota and a local community college that has grown into a network
of 30 community colleges and 34 auto-related plants in 12 states. If someone has the
AMTEC credential, “it’s a validation,” said a manager at a local Nissan plant; employers
know what to expect. The credential does not require a college degree.^208
The Golden Triangle Link provides a third model. It’s a private economic development
coalition in Mississippi led by an Arkansas developer and Brenda Lathan, a black woman
he promoted from the reception desk to be his director for business research and
development. The Link connects local, state, and country governments, utilities,
engineering companies, and local educational institutions (Mississippi State and East
Mississippi Community College). In conjunction with the Center for Manufacturing
- Don’t They Understand That Manufacturing Jobs Aren’t Coming Back?