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!”
Illegal immigrant accused of murdering wife in Texas just weeks after marriage, ICE fights release
Fox News True Crime Newsletter: Ted Bundy unmasked, Guthrie sheriff dragged to hot seat, Hawaii doc testifies
Final charge dropped in yearslong Harris-era case against pro-life activist
DOJ poised to appeal after judge affirms block on Powell subpoenas
Vance tapped as ‘fraud czar’ as Trump targets blue states over taxpayer theft
Here’s who Trump could choose as his next attorney general after firing Bondi
White House Calls for Historic Increase in Military Spending in 2027 Budget Proposal
Watch: Trump Shares Video of Iran’s Tallest Bridge Crumbling, Warns Regime of More Strikes to Come
Dem fundraising giant ActBlue rocked by allegations it misled Congress about foreign donations
French court overturns police ban on ‘Gathering of the Muslims’ over Easter weekend
US pilot rescued from downed F-15E fighter jet in Iran, search for second crew member ongoing
Don Lemon Teases His Presidential Run Depends on God, Who He Insists is Female: ‘If She Gives Me a Sign’
Feds charge illegal immigrant in Loyola student killing as attorney says prosecutors lack ‘faith’ in state
Breaking: Labor Report Blows Economists Away – 3 Times as Many New Jobs Added as Projected
WATCH: House Democrat gets unexpected response when he asks constituents about voter ID requirements
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.
Illegal immigrant accused of murdering wife in Texas just weeks after marriage, ICE fights release
Fox News True Crime Newsletter: Ted Bundy unmasked, Guthrie sheriff dragged to hot seat, Hawaii doc testifies
Final charge dropped in yearslong Harris-era case against pro-life activist
DOJ poised to appeal after judge affirms block on Powell subpoenas
Vance tapped as ‘fraud czar’ as Trump targets blue states over taxpayer theft
Here’s who Trump could choose as his next attorney general after firing Bondi
White House Calls for Historic Increase in Military Spending in 2027 Budget Proposal
Watch: Trump Shares Video of Iran’s Tallest Bridge Crumbling, Warns Regime of More Strikes to Come
Dem fundraising giant ActBlue rocked by allegations it misled Congress about foreign donations
French court overturns police ban on ‘Gathering of the Muslims’ over Easter weekend
US pilot rescued from downed F-15E fighter jet in Iran, search for second crew member ongoing
Don Lemon Teases His Presidential Run Depends on God, Who He Insists is Female: ‘If She Gives Me a Sign’
Feds charge illegal immigrant in Loyola student killing as attorney says prosecutors lack ‘faith’ in state
Breaking: Labor Report Blows Economists Away – 3 Times as Many New Jobs Added as Projected
WATCH: House Democrat gets unexpected response when he asks constituents about voter ID requirements
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.
