A recent article in CNN is asking whether there are enough workers to fill all the new jobs created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
While skilled trade sectors are already struggling with labor shortages and retirements, some labor experts are saying there’s not enough money to educate and develop the workers needed for all the roles brought about by the large infrastructure investment.
“We have $550 billion of new spending coming down the pike for all of these new types of jobs, and we don't have any money for training,” Nicole Smith, research professor and chief economist at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, told CNN.
Navy Blames Jet Fuel Spill for Contaminated Drinking Water in Honolulu
The U.S. Navy is saying a jet fuel spill in November is what led to contaminated tap water in military households in Honolulu, Hawaii, confirming that it was not leakage from an underground storage tank.
Residents had reported smelling fuel in their tap water — some even went to the hospital with stomach cramps and vomiting — and health officials and the Navy advised residents to stop using the water. The Navy shut down multiple wells as it worked to clean up the spill.
Meanwhile, the Navy had moved more than 3,000 families to hotels on Oahu while the problem was resolved, as of mid-December.
Leaders Meet to Discuss Water Infrastructure Spending in Las Vegas
Federal, state and local leaders met in Springs Preserve, Las Vegas, recently to discuss how to spend the funding allocated to Nevada via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act amidst a water loss in the region.
Lake Mead hit record-low water levels earlier this year, and officials declared a water shortage in the Colorado River Basin as a result. Lake Mead supplies water to 25 million people in the Southwest.
“We’re really racing against time to find common-sense solutions,” said Rep. Susie Lee, according to KTNV News.
See video coverage by KTNV below:
