Association leaders, educators praise Meyer’s youth apprenticeship executive action

Governor Matt Meyer directed state agencies to prioritize state agencies to prioritize the development of youth apprenticeship programs across the state in his first executive action.

Led by the Delaware Department of Education, Executive Order #1 establishes a statewide working group consisting of at least 15 members from across labor, educational, and nongovernmental sectors, with the ultimate goal of developing proposed processes and policies to expand youth apprenticeships and workforce development across the state.

“If we’re serious about educating our kids, then we need to be serious about the opportunities we want them to have,” said Governor Meyer. “Workforce development programs for youth are integral to growing Delaware’s economy in a way that all families can prosper. This executive order aims to improve access to apprenticeships so we can better prioritize the needs of working families, invest in our children’s futures, and ensure we’re building an efficient and sustainable 21st-century economy.”

READ THE FULL EXECUTIVE ORDER HERE

“We are eager, excited, and committed to work with Governor Meyer on Day 1 of his administration to expand youth registered apprenticeship programs,” said Delaware Restaurant Association President and CEO Carrie Leishman. “Restaurants are the state’s natural training ground for young people and serve as Delaware’s largest industry sector to already offer registered apprenticeship pathways for youth of all backgrounds. In partnership with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, Department of Labor, and the Department of Education, we have already built the state’s most successful model for onboarding youth into nationally recognized apprenticeship pathways.”

Leishman added that the executive order is critical for one of Delaware’s largest private-sector employers.

“Delaware restaurants currently employ 11% of the workforce, with 53,000 citizens working in our 2,100 businesses.  By 2030, we will need to train more than 4,400 workers to meet the growing demand for credentialed and trained professionals.”

ABC Delaware President Edward Capodanno agreed with Leishman.

“Youth apprenticeship is a vital tool for our industry in introducing them to construction and the career path available to them, said Capodanno, whose organization is the local chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors. “With a big workforce shortage in our industry and being the third largest growth industry in Delaware over the next five years, this will be a great help for us to share the resources and opportunities available that will provide them with a wage and benefits to help them provide for themselves and their families.”

Delaware Contractors Association Executive Director Sean Matthews said youth apprenticeships and other work-based learning opportunities are key tools to grow Delaware’s future workforce.

“The Delaware Contractors Association looks forward to working with Governor Meyer and other stakeholders to support the goals of Executive Order 1 and other similar efforts,” he said. “The construction field is full of rewarding and well-compensated jobs. Getting young people involved, inspired, and engaged as early as possible will benefit their future careers as well as address workforce shortages in the construction field. The DCA thanks Governor Meyer for his early and strong focus on this important issue in our industry and looks forward to a strong partnership.”

The executive order announcement said that Meyer is “committed to using the full power of his office to bring meaningful change to Delaware. The order will implement immediate, actionable measures that aim to reform how we prepare our kids for the jobs of tomorrow. By bringing stakeholders from across Delaware to the table, Governor Meyer is laying the foundation for a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous Delaware for generations to come.”

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