Workforce Development Responsibility Act

I Still Remember That First Offer

The first time I got a call with a real salaried job offer, everything changed. Not a temp gig. Not hourly contract work. A full-time role with benefits, a title, and a future. It was a rotational development program at a Fortune 15 company. I was elated because in that moment, I knew I had cracked something big. Class mobility wasn’t just an idea anymore, it was really happening, for me, in this lifetime.

That company didn’t just hire me. They trained me. For three years, they invested in my growth-rotations, mentorship, real projects, real stakes. It worked. Ten years later, I’ve tripled my salary. I’ve built a life I couldn’t have imagined at the start.

Still, something about it sticks with me. That company-the one that built me-never got a return on their investment.
They trained me up, and before they could benefit from the work they put in, I was gone.

The next few places I worked didn’t invest in anyone. They didn’t need to. They just hired people like me-already built, already polished. No apprenticeship. No entry-level track. No ladder, just a hand reaching into someone else’s training pool.

That’s Where This Policy Comes In

The system is upside-down. The companies doing the hard work of building skilled workers are getting undercut by the ones that just poach. We’ve created a labor market that rewards extraction over cultivation.

That’s why I wrote the Workforce Development Responsibility Act.

It’s not a punishment. It’s not a mandate. It’s a signal.

If you help grow the workforce, you get a tax deduction.
If you don’t, you don’t.

That’s it. No quotas. No government micromanagement. Just a simple, earned incentive for doing your part.

What Counts as Contributing?

Plenty of companies are already doing this. Some run apprenticeships, host interns, run bootcamps, or partner with trade schools. This policy isn't bureaucracy for its own sake; instead, it recognizes and rewards what’s already working.

Direct contributions might look like:

• Paid apprenticeships with a real skill track
• Structured internship or fellowship programs
• Internal bootcamp-to-hire pipelines
• Hiring through union or trade guild partnerships

Indirect investments could include:

• Sponsoring scholarships for trade schools, HBCUs, or community colleges
• Donating equipment or hosting externships
• Funding nonprofits that train the next generation in your industry

If you’re already doing the work, great. We’ll keep it simple-submit a one-pager and claim the deduction. If your company doesn’t want to participate, that’s fine too. This isn’t coercive. If your programs are unpaid, they aren’t eligible for this benefit.

How Do We Pay for It?

Yes, there’s a cost. The government gives up some tax revenue.

Here’s what we gain in return:
- Higher employment and more upward mobility
- More entry-level jobs staying here instead of being offshored
- A larger tax base, as new workers move from the sidelines to full-time roles

Every trained, hired, and retained worker adds value back to the system through income tax, payroll tax, consumer spending, and reduced reliance on public assistance.

This is how you make workforce policy pay for itself. If needed, an amendment could be added to disqualify companies that offshore entry-level work while claiming the deduction.

Why It Matters

This is personal. I got lucky. Someone gave me a shot and built me up. That chance changed everything. I want more people to have that shot-and I want the companies that offer it to be supported, not left behind.

No one becomes a senior engineer out of thin air. No master tradesperson shows up without a starting point. Somewhere, someone took time to train them.

Right now, we’re letting those trainers carry the weight alone. That’s not sustainable. It’s not fair. And long term, it’s not good for the country.

Here’s the Deal

If you’re building the workforce, you deserve something back. If you’re not, you don’t. No punishment, no judgment-but also no handout.

That’s the Workforce Development Responsibility Act.
Reward the builders. Let the extractors fend for themselves.

If you’ve been on either side of this, I’d love to hear from you.