#5SmartReads - April 20, 2023

Hitha on apprenticeships, the care economy, and another reason to love Hayley Williams

April 20, 2023

I feel very strongly that apprenticeships are a big part of the future of work.

And while Congress appears to agree - increasing funding towards apprenticeships by $50B in the 2023 budget - it still feels like it’s not enough, in terms of the opportunities and the outreach for said opportunities.

“Today, apprentices receive on average about 2% of the support that taxpayers spend on a typical college student. That’s despite the fact that more than 90% of apprentices find employment immediately after their program ends. Compare that to the nearly 40% of college students who drop out before they earn a degree. In addition, the roughly $400 million each year spent by federal, state, and local governments on apprenticeships is merely a tiny fraction—one-tenth of one percent—of the billions poured into the traditional “train and pray” educational system that trains people, then prays they find a job.”

To train and help 1 million Americans find employment, it would cost $4B in funding - with incredible return on investment, both to the funders and in the quality of life for those in the programs, as Germany has well documented.

Did any of us need another reason to love Hayley Williams?

We did not, but we got one anyway.

This is a person whose actions outweigh her words, and are rooted in such love and intention. When Tennessee passed a series of anti-LGBTQ+ laws, she was quick to speak out and act. Fruits Hair Lab - a salon in Franklin, TN - where everyone is welcome to create the look that they want is her latest action, launched in partnership with her best friend and stylist Brian O’Connor.

Their salon isn’t just a place for people to get their hair done. It’s a place where they can celebrate who they are - in the face of extreme legislation that denies so many queer people the chance to live their truth.

“It’s much deeper than just a haircut in a salon, or a hair color that you can buy in a box on a store shelf. It’s about letting people know that those simple things every day can lead you to an intersection in life where you weren’t expecting to find someone to point you in a direction that you didn’t even know you needed to go in.”

Hayley has long been our punk pop queen. And there’s nothing more punk that standing with those who face extremism and depravation of basic human rights.

I don’t think many of us think about the impact of a glacier melting. But for those who live in Phinaya, Peru, the rapid melting of the Quelccaya glacier is destroying their very lives.

In this mountainous region, caring for alpacas and selling their fleece is the community’s primary economy. Climate change has impacted how many alpacas a family now possesses or can support, and the younger generations are leaving the area to be able to support their families.

Too often we read headlines about climate disasters but rarely connect with the personal stories of those affected by them. This is a really impactful photoessay that I hope you take the time to read and view.

A few things struck me about this excerpt from Gretchen Rubin’s new book:

  • There has to be a middle ground between physicians delivering diagnoses with a little more care or patients being a little more prepared to hear big news delivered so nonchalantly (something I’ve faced as a patient and a caregiver).

  • The magic is in the little things, and engaging your senses is the best way to observe them.

  • Most things are out of your control. If you have the privilege of financial and personal security, you have more control over how you choose to react and reflect. I certainly am working on cultivating a stronger reflection muscle.

I’ve found such peace and acceptance in myself in reading Rubin’s books, and the message of this book is exactly what I need right now.

While I firmly believe that Congress must act and invest in a long term care infrastructure (with dignified wages and benefits!), I also commend the administration for taking this first step in gathering information and enacting better policies wherever they can.

I like the approach they’re taking on an agency-by-agency basis, from directing the VA to expand the Veteran Directed Care program to examining Medicaid’s allotment to home care agencies to see if they can increase worker pay without increasing reimbursement rates.

Transparency is necessary, and too much of our healthcare spending goes into administrative costs at the expense of the care workers.

We need to - and will - do more. And I’m glad this administration is taking action where they can, and building the case and gathering the data to support legislative action.

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