Gina Raimondo

He found one that he could get into.

It took a year, over a year actually, cost money, and he wouldn't be paid for a year.

Who could go a year without a salary?

Now look, I know, I've seen it, there is a lot of really excellent innovation

out there around employer-led worker training, apprenticeships, co-ops and college.

But here's the reality.

All of those efforts are a tiny portion of America's post-high school system.

They ought to be the system.

They ought to be the norm and not the exception.

And there should be no stigma for going that path.

OK, now the reality is it's going to take more than just new workforce training system if we're going to get through this economic transition, because we also have to provide support for people as AI changes their jobs.

And unfortunately, today in the US, our primary career transition support system is unemployment insurance.

It was created 100 years ago in a different time where people had a single job in a single industry for decades.

It does nothing to support people getting new training, starting a new business, entering a new field.

And actually, I know this from being governor, it doesn't provide nearly enough income support for middle-class wage earners, let alone high-income earners.

So in addition to unemployment benefits, why don't we offer temporary wage support to get workers back into the workforce quickly by topping up their salary if they take a pay cut to enter a new field?

By the way, one of the reasons I'm excited about AI is I think it'll make starting a business easier than ever.

So why don't we look at a program of self-employment assistance to support workers while they start a new business?

So let's say we do all this.

Let's say we are determined, creative, and we do all this.