Policy Priorities
Workforce Development Modernization and the Creation of Multiple Pathways to Family-Sustaining Careers
Destigmatize Vocational Education
Engage the Private Sector
Increase Data Transparency
The spirit of the American worker is the very foundation of our Nation. There is no force more potent — when left to be free, to prosper, and to flourish. From 2017 to 2020, the American workforce experienced one of the greatest and most robust economies in U.S. history. In this period, the skills-gap crisis and seismic shift in work challenged the “college or bust” mentality which propelled policymakers to promote a full range of career and education opportunities and to prepare our workforce for the changing nature of work. The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) will advance policies to promote a full range of career opportunities and prepare our workforce for the industries of the future. As we work to rebuild our economy and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the AFPI is prioritizing our Nation’s most critical asset, the American worker. AFPI will help restore American workers to their proper place, which is at the center of governance and policy alike. The class of Americans who made our Republic the greatest Nation on Earth deserves to be heard, valued — and in charge.
Team
The Honorable Linda McMahon
Chair of the Board and Chair, Center for the American Worker
Rachel Wallen Oglesby
Chief State Action Officer & Director, Center for the American Worker
Stacey Schieffelin
Senior Advisor to the Chair of the Board and Senior Advisor, Center for the American Worker
Scott Singer
Senior Advisor, Center for the American Worker
Andrew Cuff, Ph.D.
Senior Policy Analyst, Higher Education Reform Initiative
Latest
Fact Sheet
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October 1, 2024
America First vs. America Last Policies to Empower Workers
America First policies grow the economy, champion worker freedom and flexibility, and unleash the full power of American small businesses and private sector leaders. In contrast, the America Last policies of the last three years have done the opposite, leading to fewer jobs created, extra costs and paperwork for small businesses, and an economy on life support.
Fact Sheet
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September 30, 2024
Removing Barriers to Work for New Jersey’s Military Spouses
Every state requires people looking to work in certain fields to receive government approval to do so, in the form of an occupational license. States differ on which occupations they license and what they require from workers to earn a license, but most require hundreds of hours of training and extensive education, exams, and fees.
Fact Sheet
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September 30, 2024
Removing Barriers to Work for Pennsylvania’s Military Spouses
Occupational licensing is a barrier to work for military spouses.
Model Executive Order
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September 25, 2024
Promoting Skills-Based Hiring for Public Sector Jobs
Degree inflation—adding educational requirements to jobs that were previously open to any applicants with the necessary skills—has undermined labor productivity, delayed workers’ entrance into the workforce, and saddled millions of Americans with student loan debt.
State Model Policy
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September 25, 2024
Military Spouse Licensure Act
This act permits military spouses who work in a licensed occupation and hold a license in good standing from any state to get right to work when they moved to a new state, without having to waiting months for their new state’s licensing board to approve.
Topics
23
issues
Videos
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What Can Be Done to Help America’s Small Businesses
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Linda McMahon joined Neil Cavuto to discuss record inflation and small businesses
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Linda McMahon joined Fox Business Tonight to discuss the supply chain crisis and rising inflation
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Op-Ed: The anti-American agenda of President Biden’s nominees
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