CANDIDATES POSITIONS: ELECTION '08

Growing the Economy by Investing in People
December 2007

By Shawn Fremstad, Rachel Unruh, Andy Van Kleunen
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The Skills2Compete campaign analyzed policy statements made by each of the major party Presidential candidates—including published policy platforms, policy speeches, or statements in the press—to assess their public positions on workforce education issues. The campaign also looked at policies promoted by candidates while in public office. Skills2Compete specifically examined candidate positions in relationship to three issues that are core to the campaign vision:

In this Analysis Comparison A table comparing candidates’ visions for workforce education and their attention to the three Skills2Compete priorities listed to the left. Summaries Summaries of candidates' public positions on issues affecting the creation of a skilled workforce.

Attention to the forgotten middle of the skilled labor market
Nearly half of all jobs in this country are middle-skill jobs, requiring more than high school, but less than a four-year degree. What has the candidate said about the need to educate and train U.S. workers for jobs that require this level of education? Is there a balance between calls for “college for all” or a focus on highly credentialed innovation occupations AND the need for more trained workers to fill other skilled positions in the labor market?

Attention to the current, adult workforce
Two-thirds of the workforce of 2020 will be comprised of adults already in today's workforce and beyond the reach of our K-12 systems. To what extent does the candidate address the education and training needs of people already in the workforce—including those who are marginally attached to the labor market, or recently displaced from it—relative to calls for education policies focused on young people (e.g., financial aid for full-time college students coming out of high school). Does the platform address the needs of working adult students, lifelong learning, or other issues that relate to the skill development of workers past traditional school age?

Attention to vocational and sector training
Skills2Compete seeks guaranteed access to up to two years of postsecondary education, but those two years can take many forms. To what extent does the candidate talk about forms of training beyond traditional college? These include vocational education at community colleges and training within apprenticeships, labor-management partnerships, and community based training organizations, among others. To what extent does the candidate talk about training for occupations in specific high-demand and growth sectors? Are there particular sectors or industries (e.g., healthcare, clean energy or green jobs industries, and manufacturing) for which the candidate calls for greater workforce training, particularly for jobs requiring less than a four-year degree? These can be options for young people as well as adults.

Because of our focus on these three issues, some candidates have higher education and workforce development proposals that won't be captured in this analysis. We encourage readers to use the links we provide to candidates’ websites to explore their proposals further. A general summary of higher education positions for all candidates can be found on the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Campaign U Blog.