FT. Washington, MD.—A solution to the labor shortage in the skilled trades may come in the form of the Skilled Workforce Enhancement Act (SWEA, H.R. 877).

The Act was designed to help provide workers the necessary training to enter highly skilled trades, said John Merideth, legislative representative for the National Tooling & Machining Assn. The assistance comes in the form of a $15,000 tax credit per apprentice to employers of highly skilled workers.

Merideth said most construction and manufacturing firms with less than 250 employees will be eligible to participate. SWEA is intended to support, rather than supplant, existing training programs by supporting two- to four-year apprenticeship programs consisting of a minimum 1,500 hours per year.

Without legislative action, there will be a severe shortage of skilled workers in the next decade when the current generation of workers retires, said NTMA president Matt Coffrey.

"SWEA is an effective mechanism to counteract the dwindling skilled workforce," said Merideth. "It is not just about workforce development; it's about economic development."

Merideth said the program would create new wealth and provide new opportunities in under-served communities. SWEA was introduced before the U.S. House of Representatives in April by Congressman Mark Foley (R-Fla.) with 35 bi-partisan co-sponsors.