Execs Meet With Labor Secretary to Promote Apprenticeships

US Labor Secretary Thomas Perez (second from right) at the Global Apprenticeships Network board meeting in Washington, D.C.
US Labor Secretary Thomas Perez (second from right) at the Global Apprenticeships Network board meeting in Washington, D.C.

Youth unemployment worldwide has reached crisis proportions. Businesses are often unable to find the skills they need among new graduates, and around the world 621 million youth are not engaged in employment, education or training. What’s more, 51 percent of millennials are underemployed, and student debt is growing.

Obtaining an apprenticeship as a first job allows the young person to benefit from “earning while learning,” which can lead to a lifetime of productive employment. U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez has called apprenticeship “the other college, except without the debt.”

A business-led coalition spearheaded by CEOs representing some of the world’s largest companies, employer associations, and major international organizations have come together through the Global Apprenticeships Network (GAN) to create skills for business and jobs for youth.

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Secretary Perez (front row, center) met with CEOs and other private-sector representatives, including USCIB President Peter Robinson and IOE Secretary General Linda Kromjong (first row, far right), and BIAC Secretary General Bernhard Welschke (second row, second from right).

USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson joined GAN CEOs and Secretary Perez at a series of events on October 6 at the White House in Washington, D.C. Also present were Linda Kromjong, secretary general of the International Organization of Employers, and Bernhard Welschke, secretary general of Business at OECD.

Coincident with the GAN meetings in Washington, Adecco Group CEO Alain Dehaze published a column on LinkedIn entitled “Employment: A Call to Action for the Next President of the United States.”

Click here to read more about the days events. You can also view a recap on the GAN’s website.

 

Staff Contact:   Ewa Staworzynska

Director, Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs
Tel: 212.703.5056

Ewa Staworzynska is USCIB’s Director of Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs. Staworzynska brings to USCIB her extensive policy experience from both public and private sectors. Prior to joining USCIB, she led DoorDash’s policy efforts in international markets and was in charge of diplomatic relations. Before her position at DoorDash, Staworzynska was an officer at the International Labor Organization (ILO), where she worked multilaterally to advance support for decent work and related policies at UN headquarters. Staworzynska began her career in New York working for a real estate start-up. Staworzynska will be based in USCIB’s New York office and will work with Jose Arroyo, USCIB policy associate on corporate responsibility and labor affairs, on a wide range of issues, including human rights and industrial policy, responsible business conduct, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She was born and raised in Norway and has a B.A. in Economics and M.A. in International Relations, with a specialty in International Business, from New York University.
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