There are millions of jobs in the United States that remain unfilled because employers struggle to find applicants with the skills required for certain positions. Apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning are tailored to help shrink the jobs gap in the U.S. because they offer American workers the opportunity to succeed without being tied to large sums of student debt.

As a former community banker and former chairman of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, I understand that business owners and entrepreneurs know best what skills their employees need to excel in the workplace. Five years ago, I started the bipartisan Congressional Skilled American Workforce Caucus with Rep. Brenda Lawrence of Detroit to promote increased skilled workforce training.