A key component of Gov. Gina M. Raimondo's plan for Rhode Island's recovery is to improve the job training and educational programming in the state in order to meet the needs of employers looking to grow their workforces. And it is a fine idea.
For years, employers have been saying they cannot get the right people for the jobs they have, and that the state has not been responsive to their needs. In response, the governor and her economic-development team have said that industry will drive the content of new job-training programs, so that when people finish with a course of study, they will be employable on the spot.
While this is a laudable goal, this week's cover story makes clear that it's not just the quality of the potential workers that needs to be augmented. It's about the number of them as well.
The state Department of Labor and Training revealed in a decade's worth of data that its programming, which includes both job training and job-placement services, fell far short of the need. From fiscal 2006 through the just-concluded fiscal 2015, 9,962 people who received DLT services found jobs. That is not even one-third of the average number of unemployed in Rhode Island in fiscal 2015, much less the full extent of the people needing help. In fiscal 2010, there were an average of 63,403 unemployed Rhode Islanders.
So by all means, improve the quality of the job training that the state will be involved in. But let us be clear: If the state is serious about helping its citizens be trained for 21st-century jobs, it needs to bring a lot more to the table. •