WASHINGTON – This week, the House passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, a bill that will help make workforce training programs more streamlined and efficient so the workforce can better meet the growing and changing needs of employers and the economy.
Though there were 4.6 million job openings at end of the May, the workforce is struggling to gain necessary skill sets in order to qualify for these jobs. In order to address this, the bill was created to make a number of improvements to the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.
“WIOA improves the workforce system, aligning it with regional economies and strengthening the network of about 2,500 American Job Centers, to deliver more comprehensive services to workers, job seekers and employers,” said US Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez.
He praised the bipartisan partnership that occurred to pass the bill in both the Senate and the House. The bill passed by a vote of 415-6 in the House. The US Senate approved the bill on June 25, and is now on its way to the White House to be signed into law.
“The bill will build closer ties among key workforce partners — business leaders, workforce boards, labor unions, community colleges and non-profits and state and local officials — as we strive for a more job-driven approach to training and skills development,” Perez said. “President Obama's ongoing review of federal training programs, led by Vice President Biden, will further ensure that we are doing everything possible to prepare ready-to-work-Americans with ready-to-be-filled jobs.”
Representative Richard Hanna (District 22) supported the bill with the belief that it will help one-stop career centers in the 22nd Congressional District better serve New Yorkers.
“Job centers are meant to help people find work and this bill ensures that remains the sole focus in the 21st century,” Hanna said. “This bill streamlines piles of different programs, eliminates overlap and establishes one checklist to measure the success – or failure – of federal programs. This bipartisan legislation finally makes important updates so Americans can find work where the jobs are today and into the future.”
One of the workforce centers that will be impacted is the CDO Workforce in Norwich.
CDO Executive Director Alice Savino explained the many benefits that will come with the implementation of the bill. She explained that it has been 11 years since the Workforce Investment Act has been up for reauthorization. As a result, funding has always been sporadic or lacking over those 11 years.
“The new act will stabilize the funding and make it more certain,” she said and explained that it will more clearly outline where taxpayer money is going. “We do expect a more clear metric on the outcome and return on the investment, which is good.
“We do have a good outcome for people who receive training and go back to work. It will make it easier for people to understand and see why it's important.”
The bill mandates collaboration and partnerships, as well as provides professional development for staff and board members that work in the centers. There will also be more accountability so that centers doing a good job will be identified, and those in need of assistance will get it, she said.
A press release from Hanna's office said that the bill, “eliminates 15 programs; requires 75 percent of youth funding to support out-of-school youth, of which 20 percent is prioritized for work-based activities; sets high expectations for individuals with disabilities with respect to employment; provides youth with disabilities the services and support necessary to be successful in competitive, integrated employment; and allows the US Department of Labor to provide technical assistance to Job Corps operators and centers to improve operations and outcomes.”
Funding is guaranteed for fiscal years 2015 through 2020 for workforce training programs.
Overall, the bill will modernize the workforce centers, ensuring that workers are better prepared to meet the standards of a globalized economy.
“We thank our local officials for supporting the bill, and look forward to seeing how the policy develops,” Savino said. “We look forward to participating in that development.”