Introduction stable, and so successful as a nation. It’s a basic bargain that says if you contribute to the success of a business, you get to share in the benefits, too. Our Administration’s responsibility begins with ensuring that federally funded training programs are singularly focused on getting more Americans ready to work, with marketable skills. These programs are particularly important to those hardest hit by the twists and turns of global competition, technological changes, economic isolation, or inadequate education opportunities. We see incredible opportunities in high-growth industries like advanced manufacturing, information technology, and health care. Many dynamic companies in these sectors aren’t just expanding their workforces. They are creating jobs that pay middle-class wages. Going forward, our Administration will work with leaders in these industries to promote partnerships between education and workforce institutions in order to create training programs that help Americans succeed in these growing fields. Together, we will also work to increase the number of apprenticeships, which allow individuals to earn and learn, and empower job seekers and employers with better data regarding what jobs are available and what skills are needed to fill those jobs. In this review, I have worked closely with members of our Cabinet who share our commitment to a new skills paradigm. We have met with business leaders, community college presidents, governors and mayors, and academic experts. The consensus is clear: we must fundamentally rethink the pathways to well-paying, middle-class jobs, and open those pathways to all Americans. Many businesses, community colleges, and state and local training programs – often funded with federal dollars – have found ways to successfully prepare Americans for these jobs. We must expand on these successful efforts and ensure that our entire system is learning from them. Some training programs aren’t working well enough, and we’re taking aggressive action to focus them on partnerships that train for in-demand skills and that match into in-demand jobs. We applaud the recent passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the first significant legislative reform of the nation’s job training system in many years. The bill is consistent with the key job-driven elements in this report, and the overwhelming bipartisan support it received in Congress should send a strong signal. More needs to be done, and we welcome further engagement with Congress to enact other reforms that require legislative action. The mission here is very simple, and it goes back to the central economic vision that has guided us since our first day in office: building a strong and thriving middle class. Now that we have recovered from the Great Recession, we must expand opportunity to the people who need it most: the working men and women who represent the backbone of the world’s most dynamic and thriving economy. It was my pleasure to lead this effort and to work with the dedicated staff across the Administration. Sincerely, Joe Biden Vice President of the United States 3