Thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), our state has an opportunity to make unprecedented investments in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure. We have a chance to catapult our state forward, but only if we have the workforce available to build that infrastructure. If there aren’t Montanans who are trained and ready to get to work on these projects, those good-paying jobs will go to out-of-staters. But it doesn’t have to happen that way.
Montana’s trade unions already operate successful short-term, rapid retraining programs that help folks get the skills they need to shift into better jobs. After just a couple of weeks, or in some cases just a couple of days, workers can compete for jobs in construction, highway work, tunneling and more. This proven solution to our workforce shortage is ready to go, but more resources are needed to expand the number of spots in the training classes, and help instructors travel across the state to where workers are.
With the downturn the economy is experiencing in natural resources development, workers in communities like Colstrip and St. Regis are facing job losses. With training in new, high-demand skills, these folks could find new employment that lets them provide for their families. They might not be able to travel to Billings or Missoula to access typical workforce training programs. But with the rapid retraining programs that statehouse Democrats are proposing, that training can come to them. It’s a common-sense solution to make sure that growth we make towards economic prosperity doesn’t leave our rural communities behind.
