On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-C) announced the House had passed her workforce development bill, putting more Americans on the path to successful careers.
The A Stronger Workforce for America Act, will expand the skills development provided under federal law and strengthen the relationship between employers and the workforce system, Foxx said.
“A Stronger Workforce for America Act is a bill for those who believe in the incredible, boundless potential of the American workforce,” Foxx said. “This legislation will bolster the efficiency of the workforce system by dedicating 50 percent of funding to upskilling workers. Skills are becoming the currency of the labor market and the key to unlocking career success, yet too few of the taxpayer dollars provided to the workforce system are being spent developing the skills of our workforce. By elevating skills development, this bill will deliver more opportunities for Americans to prepare for good-paying jobs.”
The bill dedicates 50 percent of the adult and dislocated worker funding toward upskilling workers while redirecting an existing funding stream toward ITAs for displaced workers, and prioritizing employer-led initiatives to equip workers with skill sets for use in critical industries. The bill will also place emphasis on work-based learning and strengthen programs to help individuals released from incarceration transition back to employment while strengthening workforce education programs at community colleges.
The bill will also establish a demonstration authority that would provide several states and local workforce boards with the flexibility to reimagine their workforce system, as well as facilitate skills-based hiring by validating workers’ competencies accumulated through prior experience and authorizing state and local boards to provide technical assistance to employers on how to implement skills-based hiring practices.