Nick
Pinchuk, chairman and CEO of Snap-on Incorporated, which partners
in career and technical education programs, often speaks about the
dignity of work as part of this country’s foundation and ongoing prosperity.
“We
are the people of work,” Pinchuk told the crowd at JFF’s national summit in
2016. “We’ve succeeded not only on the brilliance of the few, but we’ve
succeeded on the efforts of the many, everyday people . . .
“The
pride and dignity of work are powerful, and they exist in garages and nursing
stations and machine shops and retail outlets,” he continued. “Through these
jobs, people have lives of fulfillment and satisfaction, and they keep their
families warm and safe and dry.”
We can follow the current and projected
effects of automation and the potential elimination of many jobs on a daily
basis. We can worry about what people will do when their jobs are displaced.
Or, we can use this moment to reassess the value of work and how it contributes
to our own self-worth and importance.
As part of a major rebranding effort
focused on the future, JFF has adopted a new tagline: “Building a Future that
Works.” We are proud to have employers partnering with us to promote meaningful
work and opportunities for all, now and as our economy evolves.