Labor and the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council?
Workplace by workplace, employers’ skill demands are increasing. Oftentimes, employers inflate the skill they need, their skill requirements may be a wish list for the perfect employee and not necessary to reflect actual job duties. Other times, employers’ skill requirements are vague, making it difficult for workers to document their qualifications. Most generally, employers’ screening (test) results are not shared with job applicants providing workers with little opportunity to focus on developing needed skills. In the unionized sector, labor and management have a long tradition of developing world-class, competency-based standards to guide hiring and promotional decisions. For example, Unions have used the apprenticeship model of worker preparation and training to provide workers with a pathway to broad skills and high paying jobs. Other models of jointly negotiated skill standards are in place in the auto and steel industries where internal classification systems have standardized
