Hickenlooper — who is also chairing the Commerce Subcommittee on Space and Science — is the first freshman Democrat to chair two subcommittees since 1979
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) announced today that Senator John Hickenlooper will chair the Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety. The post makes Hickenlooper, a former small business owner who started and built a string of successful brewpubs, the first Democratic senator since 1979 (the 96th Congress) to chair two subcommittees in their first term.
The subcommittee posting on workplace safety comes at a critical time as the country grapples with the challenge of protecting workers and reopening businesses safely amid a deadly pandemic. Hickenlooper also plans to focus on job training and workforce development. As Governor, he was a leader in expanding alternative pathways to good-paying jobs, creating the nation’s first statewide youth apprenticeship program, CareerWise, which now has programs in several states and Washington, D.C.
“The economy of the future demands skills that are not always met in the traditional classroom, and government can play a key role in connecting workers to alternative pathways to obtain these skills,” said Hickenlooper. “Colorado pioneered on-the-job training for youth with CareerWise. Using these lessons, and similar innovations from many states, we can rebuild and modernize the economy in everything from manufacturing and technology to rural health care.”
Hickenlooper was also named chair of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Space and Science. He also serves on the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.