Workforce Training Bill Clears Senate Panel
Training programs administered by the federal government have long needed a major overhaul. The original Workforce Investment Act (WIA) was signed into law by President Clinton in 1998 and was due for reauthorization in 2003. For those keeping score at home, it has been a full decade since Congress updated federal workforce training programs. On […]
Workforce Legislation Takes Aim At Closing the Skills Gap, Misses.
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) and Rep. George Miller (D-CA) have introduced a bill that would create a fund to provide “eligible entities” with the resources to develop workforce development programs (H.R. 2560, S. 1269). One of the significant provisions of this bill that promotes partnerships between industry and community colleges would give priority to […]
Workforce Development Panel Appointed by Indiana Governor
Construction skills training got a boost in Indiana today when Gov. Mike Pence appointed Associated Builders and Contractors of Indiana President J.R. Gaylor to the newly formed Indiana Career Council. The council was established with overwhelming bipartisan support with the goal of shrinking the skills gap by aligning the state’s job-training funds with industry demand. […]
Training Bill in the Senate Establishes WIA Grant for Union-Only Partnerships
Labor-only workforce partnerships got a boost today when Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced a bill that would provide the Department of Labor with authority to issue grant money for “industry or sector partnerships.” According to the bill’s language, this program to fund training in industry sectors will, “improve worker training, retention, and advancement in targeted […]
Apprenticeship Bill in Ohio Seeks to Attract High School Students
Under new legislation introduced in the Ohio General Assembly by Rep. Hagan (H.B. 168), high school students will have the opportunity to use state education funds to enroll in apprenticeship programs registered by the Department of Labor. Ohio’s Post-Secondary Education Opportunity Program (PSEOP) enables high school students to enroll in courses that provide both high […]
Bipartisan CAREER Act Will Enhance Federal Training Programs
Workforce skill shortages have grabbed the attention of both sides of the aisle in Congress. Today, Sen. Rob Portman (OH-R) and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced a bill they hope will better align federal workforce training programs with the skilled labor demands of businesses. The Careers Through Responsive, Efficient and Effective Retraining (CAREER) Act will […]
SKILLS Act Passes House
The federal workforce training system received high profile criticism in early 2012 when President Obama referred to it as “[A] maze of confusing training programs.” In an effort to untangle that maze and make it easier for Americans to access skilled training, the House passed the Supporting Knowledge and Investing In Lifelong Skills Act (H.R. […]
The Tangled Web of Federal Workforce Training Programs
A picture says a thousand words.
Welcome
Our industry is facing a workforce crisis—construction firms, the news media, legislators and educators unanimously agree. Although a great deal of ink has been spilled highlighting this skills gap, the hard work being done to train the up-and-coming workforce is rarely reported. And without a credible source of information about these initiatives and success stories, […]
