Activate the Hidden Army: Developing America's Underused Talent for a Future We Can All Be Proud Of

Vote Sholdon Daniels for Congress

America doesn’t have a people problem—we have a wasted potential problem.

We’ve got millions of underemployed, unemployed, and underutilized people across this country:

• Folks with old criminal records who’ve turned their lives around but can’t catch a break

  
  

• Single parents stuck in survival mode

  
  

• Young people working dead-end jobs with no path forward

  
  

• Entire neighborhoods filled with talent that’s never been activated

If we want to fix our economy, fix our cities, and secure our future, we’ve got to wake up this hidden army—and train it to dominate.

I’m running for Congress to build a workforce development system that doesn’t just create workers—it unleashes purpose.

1. Activate the Overlooked, Undervalued, and Underutilized

There are people in our communities who:

• Want to work

• Want to build

  
  

• Want to contribute

But they’re held back by:

• A felony from 15 years ago

  
  

• A lack of connections

  
  

• A system that’s only built for college grads, corporate résumés, and those that come from privilege

I’ll change that.

I’ll fight to:

• Create a Federal Second-Chance Talent Initiative, connecting returning citizens and overlooked adults to paid training, mentorship, and high-opportunity jobs.

  
  

• Fund “Skills to Society” grants that pay people to learn trades, tech, logistics, or healthcare in high-need sectors.

  
  

• Support expungement and record sealing programs for nonviolent, old offenses so that people can move forward with dignity.

If someone has done their time, paid their dues, and wants to work—we should open the door, not shut it.

2. Help People Discover Their Life Calling Earlier

Too many Americans float through high school and young adulthood without a clear path or purpose.

We should be helping people discover their strengths and passions by 9th grade—not waiting until they’re lost in college debt or job hopping in their 30s.

That’s why I’ll:

• Establish a “Purpose Track” framework in middle and high schools—career exploration, personality assessments, job shadowing, and mentorship starting in 8th grade.

  
  

• Launch community-based purpose labs, where young people and adults alike can explore trades, tech, arts, health care, and entrepreneurship before enrolling in training.

  
  

• Build a Federal Life Calling Grant, covering training costs for adults returning to school or switching careers after discovering a new calling.

When people have purpose, they build. When they build, they thrive.

3. Bring Cutting-Edge Skills to the Neighborhoods That Need It Most

The communities with the highest unemployment often have the fewest training centers, the worst Wi-Fi, and the least access to opportunity.

That’s backwards.

I’ll propose:

• Building Workforce Innovation Zones in the bottom 20% of ZIP codes by income—with free training, childcare, digital access, and employer partnerships baked in.

  
  

• Partnering with small and mid-sized businesses to train locals as their future workforce, offering tax credits in return.

  
  

• Ensuring AI, cybersecurity, data, and automation skills are taught in barber shops, churches, community colleges, and online portals—not just Silicon Valley.

Because we don’t just want folks working—we want them working in fields they’re proud of, skilled in, and respected for.

4. Tech Integration and Gamified Learning for the Modern Age

If we learned how to use the internet, smartphones, and social media, we can learn AI, too.

We just need to teach it right.

I’ll champion:

• A “Code for the People” National Learning Program, gamifying AI, logic, and digital skills through mobile apps and competitive community leagues.

  
  

• Partnerships with tech companies to build free, ad-free learning platforms focused on real-world tech fluency for everyday Americans.

  
  

• A Tech-for-All Fund, giving workers access to laptops, Wi-Fi, and training kits through libraries, churches, and job centers.

Understanding AI shouldn’t be a luxury—it should be a basic skill like reading and writing.

UNLOCK AMERICA’S WORKFORCE—STARTING IN THE PLACES LEFT BEHIND

This isn’t just about jobs.

This is about dignity, power, and legacy.

We don’t just need warm bodies—we need skilled, sharp, motivated people who know what they’re good at and where they’re going.

If we:

• Activate the underused,

  
  

• Connect them to purpose,

  
  

• Teach them cutting-edge skills,

  
  

• And invest in communities that have been ignored…

We don’t just rebuild our workforce—we rebuild our country.

If you believe every American deserves a shot at meaningful work and a future to be proud of—follow @SholdonDaniels on X and help us unleash the full power of the people.