Former Vice President Joe Biden urged displaced coal miners to take up coding and computer programming on Monday during a campaign swing through New Hampshire.
Biden, who recently claimed that blue-collar job losses should not stand in the way of a greener economy, made the comment while discussing his plans for expanding “jobs of the future” if elected in 2020. The former vice president, in particular, suggested retraining programs were the key for workers in industries hardest hit by globalization and increased environmental regulations, especially those in the coal mines of Appalachia.
“Anybody who can go down 3,000 feet in a mine can sure as hell learn to program as well,” Biden told an audience in Derry, New Hampshire. “Anybody who can throw coal into a furnace can learn how to program, for God’s sake!”
Police to Release Person of Interest in Brown University Shooting as Evidence Points in Different Direction
Illegal Indian Truck Driver Accused of Killing American Has Been Released from Jail Despite Vehicular Homicide Charges
Biden officials go silent when asked about Afghan refugee program after guardsmen shooting
American Troops Ambushed in Syria, Two Soldiers Killed During Anti-ISIS Operation
Massive Medicaid fraud scheme puts Minnesota’s federal funding at risk — and fallout could widen
‘GavOUT’: Rapper Nicki Minaj Savages Gavin Newsom Over His Wanting to See ‘Trans Kids’
Breaking Report: Hollywood Legend Rob Reiner, Wife Michele Have Been Killed by Their Son Nick
Iowa police chief’s son among National Guard members killed in Syria ISIS terrorist attack
Breaking: Two Dead Bodies Found at Hollywood Legend, Liberal Activist Rob Reiner’s LA Home
Erika Kirk agrees to ‘private discussion’ with Candace Owens amid rising tensions
DoorDash driver charged with felony food tampering after alleged pepper spray incident goes viral
MTG Attacks Again, Blames Trump for Death Threats Against Her Son
Small Business Administration unveils new initiative to roll back federal regulations
Gavin Newsom Says Charlie Kirk Helped Him Better ‘Understand’ Christianity
China’s missile surge puts every US base in the Pacific at risk — and the window to respond is closing
The former vice president’s comments come only weeks after he pledged at the sixth Democrat primary debate to “sacrifice” economic growth and potentially “displace thousands or hundreds of thousands of blue-collar workers” in the interests of a “greener economy.”
“The answer is yes because the opportunity for those workers to transition to high paying jobs is real,” Biden told the audience.
Regardless of the former vice president’s claim, job retraining and other transitionary programs for displaced workers have mostly failed to live up to their promise. Retraining programs are often a poor fit for blue-collar workers, an overwhelming majority of whom tend to be older and lack a college education, in terms of skill set and technological literacy. Even more troubling is that the jobs eligible for retraining often are either in short supply in areas hardest hit by globalization and automation, or pay significantly less than those initially displaced.
For instance, the average pay a coal miner can expect to make, under a contract negotiated by the United Mine Workers of America union, “comes out to at least $61,650 a year, and closer to $85,000 a year with overtime.” This does not include healthcare, pension, and other benefits usually offered by such jobs. Meanwhile, the jobs available after workforce retraining generally tend to be lower-paid hourly wage positions.
Police to Release Person of Interest in Brown University Shooting as Evidence Points in Different Direction
Illegal Indian Truck Driver Accused of Killing American Has Been Released from Jail Despite Vehicular Homicide Charges
Biden officials go silent when asked about Afghan refugee program after guardsmen shooting
American Troops Ambushed in Syria, Two Soldiers Killed During Anti-ISIS Operation
Massive Medicaid fraud scheme puts Minnesota’s federal funding at risk — and fallout could widen
‘GavOUT’: Rapper Nicki Minaj Savages Gavin Newsom Over His Wanting to See ‘Trans Kids’
Breaking Report: Hollywood Legend Rob Reiner, Wife Michele Have Been Killed by Their Son Nick
Iowa police chief’s son among National Guard members killed in Syria ISIS terrorist attack
Breaking: Two Dead Bodies Found at Hollywood Legend, Liberal Activist Rob Reiner’s LA Home
Erika Kirk agrees to ‘private discussion’ with Candace Owens amid rising tensions
DoorDash driver charged with felony food tampering after alleged pepper spray incident goes viral
MTG Attacks Again, Blames Trump for Death Threats Against Her Son
Small Business Administration unveils new initiative to roll back federal regulations
Gavin Newsom Says Charlie Kirk Helped Him Better ‘Understand’ Christianity
China’s missile surge puts every US base in the Pacific at risk — and the window to respond is closing
Biden, himself, should be aware of such circumstances. A study measuring the impact of retraining programs, both existing ones and those began under the Obama administration, found that while they helped enrollees find work faster, there was little proof such programs led individuals to jobs of equal or higher wage to those they lost.
Despite such evidence, Biden has not only continued touting the idea of job retraining, but has also promised to ban energy sources such as coal, fracking, and other fossil fuels if elected president—to the detriment of millions of workers in those fields.
Story cited here.
