{"id":7096,"date":"2021-08-31T16:16:13","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T20:16:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adsknews.autodesk.com\/?post_type=views&p=7096"},"modified":"2021-09-07T15:24:56","modified_gmt":"2021-09-07T19:24:56","slug":"workforce-development-congressional-support","status":"publish","type":"views","link":"https:\/\/adsknews.autodesk.com\/en\/views\/workforce-development-congressional-support\/","title":{"rendered":"Autodesk joins business leaders to push for congressional investment in workforce training"},"content":{"rendered":"

The impact of COVID-19 on the American workforce has been well documented, with unemployment rates hitting record highs in 2020 as businesses ground to a halt. While the recovery is underway, we now face a different challenge\u2014making sure workers are equipped with the skills they need to succeed in a new, technology-driven workplace. \"Man The acceleration of digital transformation driven by COVID-19 has presented a couple of problems\u2014workers are increasingly struggling to find good-paying jobs that fit their skills, and employers cannot hire workers with the right skills for in-demand and emerging roles. We\u2019re seeing this first-hand in our key industries\u2014manufacturing and construction. That is why today, along with 120 organizations, Autodesk is calling-on<\/a> U.S. Congress to support investment in workforce retraining and skills as part of any recovery legislation. We believe that no one entity can solve this skills problem alone. Creating a reskilling revolution will require investment and collaboration between government, private sector, educational institutions, and workers themselves. The skills gap is not a new problem, but it has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. In January 2020, the World Economic Forum (\u201cWEF\u201d) estimated<\/a> that 1 billion people globally would need to be reskilled by 2030, a number that is now likely to be much higher. The WEF also stated, however, that a collaborative effort between the groups I mentioned could reach 77% of all workers that need reskilling\u2014versus just 25% if the private sector were to do this alone. \"People We first addressed<\/a> Congress a year ago with a request<\/a> to include workforce development in COVID-19 relief legislation. The latest letter<\/a>\u2014supported by businesses including Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, Workday, VMware\u2014urges support for investment in the workforce and skills, specifically looking for three things: <\/p>\n