In an effort to improve job standards and broaden the horizons of thousands of U.S. workers, the Biden administration has released a funding package of $12 million under the Critical Sectors Job Quality grants program. Let’s take a look at what this could mean for you.
Biden’s Bucks for Better Jobs
The government has released a $12 million package of grants to go along with an earlier released $3 million, which aims to improve job availability and job quality within three sectors critical to the nation’s economy and future prospects: care, climate resiliency, and hospitality.
Boosting Job Quality
Care and climate resiliency are two sectors that are important for America’s future, while hospitality is an industry that provides millions of people from marginalized backgrounds the opportunity to earn an income.
Revamping America’s Critical Sectors
These industries were ravaged by the pandemic and are historically on the lower end of the pay scale, typically with fewer benefits than other jobs and fewer worker protections. There’s also less stability in jobs within these sectors, both in work hours and job security.
A Lack of Workers
However, there’s a rising demand for workers in these key industries – industries that are essential for the economy.
A Path to Progress
That’s why Biden’s administration set up the Critical Sectors Job Quality grants program, which gives employers the opportunity to improve how these jobs are structured – turning them into “good jobs.”
Good Jobs Initiative
This program is part of the Department of Labor’s Good Jobs Initiative, which aims to improve job quality and ensure equal access to good jobs for all workers
Building Back Better
The plan for the Critical Sectors Job Quality grants program is to change these industries through the creation of evidence-based plans that employers will follow.
Turning Jobs into Good Jobs
These plans are roadmaps for employers to create “good jobs” for anyone looking to work in these sectors – with a special focus on people who have had a hard time finding good work before.
The Blueprint for Better Work
Good jobs must follow these principles: 1. Finding a Job: When hiring, employers should consider people from all backgrounds and focus on skills more than qualifications.
Health, Wealth, and Well-being
2. Benefits: Good jobs come with perks like health insurance and retirement plans, no matter if you’re working full-time or part-time.
Fairness at Work
3. Fair Treatment: Everyone should be treated with respect at work, no matter who they are. If someone needs extra help because of a disability, it should be easy to get it.
Empowerment Through Unionization
4. Standing Up for Yourself: Workers should be able to join unions and speak up about problems without getting in trouble.
Safe Spaces
5. Safety and Fairness: Workplaces should be safe, with regular hours and no bullying. Employers should follow the rules about how they treat workers.
Smiling Faces
6. Working Culture: Every worker should feel like they belong and their ideas matter. Employers should listen and be helpful when there’s a problem.
Equal Pay for Equal Work
7. Getting Paid Right: Pay should be fair and make sense for where you live. And everyone with the same job should get paid the same.
Climbing the Career Ladder
8. Growing in Your Career: Workers should have opportunities to learn new things and move up in their jobs, with training and support along the way.
Training Tomorrow’s Workforce Today
To achieve all this, the Department of Labor is offering grants for different projects. Applicants are required to propose training projects that fall into either smaller planning grants or larger implementation grants. The project must involve working closely with people from different industries, workers, and local leaders.
Collaborating for Quality
The idea is to help workers and businesses team up to make these jobs pay better and treat workers right. They’ll do this by working together to design better training programs for roles in these critical industries, which should lead to higher job quality and, ultimately, a higher standard of living.
Paving the Path to Prosperity
The Biden administration claims that better jobs in these industries will improve social mobility for workers and make businesses more competitive globally.
Driving Economic Growth Through Quality Jobs
Acting Department of Labor Secretary Julie Su stated that “the Department of Labor is working tirelessly to ensure that jobs created by the administration’s historic investments are good, quality jobs. This additional round of funding of our Critical Sectors Job Quality grants will help improve the quality of jobs in high-demand industries that will continue to drive our historic economic growth.”
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The content of this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute or replace professional financial advice.