Dive Brief:
- A new coaliton that launched Wednesday, The Path Forward, is a joint project of the National Retail Federation (NRF) and the National Restaurant Association (NRA) focused on serving as a voice for over a million job-creating businesses across the country that are invested in providing workers new opportunities.
- According to NRF President/CEO Matthew Shay and NRA President/CEO Dawn Sweeney, Path Forward will focus on raising awareness about the important role the service industry plays in strengthening America's workforce by empowering millions of people so they have the tools, benefits and skills they need to learn, grow and build lifelong careers.
- Shay adds that Path Forward's view is policy makers don't have a thorough understanding about the opportunities employers in those market segments create for millions of Americans young and old, in communities large and small, and the dangers of a one-size-fits-all policy debate on labor issues.
Dive Insight:
Sweeney said that as the nation's second largest private sector employer, the service industry provides education, job training, and other leadership skills for individuals who otherwise would not have a path to the middle class. She also said that Path Forward will work to help others understand and prioritize the types of opportunities it provides for millions of people
"We look forward to changing the limited discussion on wages to a broader discussion on the value of a stronger workforce supported by the opportunities large and small restaurants are providing," she said in a press release.
Shay added that the retail industry is the nation's largest private sector employer, so it recognizes the benefits of helping workers develop new skills, knowledge and training so they can choose to make a career as a long-term member of the retail community.
