As a Member of CTA, Franklin Apprenticeships Signs White House's "Pledge to America's Workers" to Fill Growing Number of Job Openings in Tech Field

BALTIMORE, July 30, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As a member of The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® Apprenticeship Coalition, Franklin Apprenticeships, a firm dedicated to helping businesses solve skilled labor shortages, communities attract workforce talent, and individuals develop middle skills career pathways through apprenticeship, has signed with CTA members the White House's Pledge to America's Workers.

The Pledge currently has more than 50 CTA members — including previous signatories Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Best Buy, Ford, HP, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Toyota, VISA and Walmart — that have committed to more than two million new opportunities, almost 30 percent of total pledges. Franklin Apprenticeships has pledged to train 2,500 technology workers.

The consumer tech sector indirectly supports 18.2 million American jobs and almost 12 percent of U.S. GDP. But there aren't enough skilled workers to fill the growing number of job openings in emerging technology sectors including 5G, AI and cloud computing. According to CTA's Future of Work survey, tech executives report that software development, data analytics and engineering are the tech skills in highest demand, with 74 percent of those saying it's difficult to fill candidates with the right skills.

Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA, signed the Pledge during a White House meeting with administration officials and 31 leaders from the U.S. consumer technology sector.

"We now have 500,000 high-tech jobs open here in the U.S. – but we don't have enough workers with the skills needed to fill all these jobs," said Shapiro as stated in CTA's press release. "If we want to maintain our nation's global leadership as a tech innovator and keep these jobs in America, we must help our workers develop the skills to succeed throughout their careers. I'm proud to see our industry step up to ensure American workers get the training they need – both for today's job market and the rapidly-evolving future of work."

Franklin Apprenticeships has expertise in creating jobs in the tech sector and is currently working with several states to address the lack of skilled labor in the field, which has become a barrier to economic growth in these regions.

"With workforce development in the tech arena being a critical issue in the U.S., we are honored be a part of CTA and its participation in the Pledge to America's Workers," said Kimberly Nichols, CEO and Co- Founder, Franklin Apprenticeships. "Apprenticeships are a cost-effective workforce solution that has proven to benefit both the business communities and individuals. As a part of the Pledge, we will prepare workers who are entering the workforce, workers who are underemployed and unemployed, and displaced workers who have already been in the workforce for in-demand careers, which will help ensure employers have the skilled labor they need to succeed."

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About Franklin Apprenticeships
Franklin Apprenticeships is igniting a movement. We offer the strategy, tools, and support network to help shape a re-imagined Apprenticeship system. Working in partnership with Educators, Businesses, Families, and Economic and Workforce Development Agencies, Franklin Apprenticeships is the first US-based firm dedicated solely to delivering on the promise for modernization of US Apprenticeship Programs.

SOURCE Franklin Apprenticeships