Congressman Jason Crow Hosts CO Apprenticeship Leader in DC to Inform Lawmakers on House Small Business Committee

WASHINGTON – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06), Chairman of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Innovation Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development, today hosted Noel Ginsburg, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Careerwise Colorado to testify in front of the Small Business Committee during a hearing called “Back to School, Back to Startups: Supporting Youth Apprenticeship, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development.” At a time when there are nearly two job openings for every unemployed Coloradan, Ginsburg stressed the dignity of working any type of job, and framed apprenticeships as an asset for young people entering the workforce and for Colorado businesses looking for high-quality workers.

“Increasingly, young people are turning to youth apprenticeship programs to gain valuable real-world experience in addition to the instruction they receive in the classroom. However, implementing a costly apprenticeship program can be daunting for small firms with tight margins,” said Chairman Crow. “Expanding youth apprenticeships and other types of Career and Technical education can provide young people with a comparable alternative to a 4-year university education while bolstering the small business labor force.”

“There should be equal dignity in any path you choose that puts a roof over your head, a car in your garage, and opportunity for your children,” said Noel Ginsburg, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of CareerWise in Denver, CO. “When we talk about the future, it’s not just one pathway to opportunity in this country anymore.”

See full video of the hearing here. See a full transcript from Mr. Ginsburg’s testimony here.

In the CareerWise modern youth apprentice program, apprentices split their time between their traditional high school classroom and the workplace. They earn a wage while receiving hands-on work experience where they can apply their classroom learning.

Today, the burden of educating the newest members of the workforce falls directly on our schools. But businesses are having difficulty finding employees with the appropriate competencies to effectively fill skilled positions. Youth apprenticeships help businesses shape their young talent and provide the education system with an applied-learning environment for its students.

Crow has focused much of his work as Chairman of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Innovation Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development on improving access to apprenticeships to improve the pipeline of qualified workers and expand education opportunities for workers looking to upskill and reskill.

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