[AAACE-NLA] Legislation to Strengthen & Improve America'sJobTraining System
Catherine B. King
cb.king at verizon.net
Wed Jan 5 13:31:55 EST 2005
Hello Donna and George:
I too wondered that perhaps the democrats had
reasons for blocking legislation, and that perhaps a
truly bi-partisan document might summarize what
those reasons were.
Catherine King
----- Original Message -----
From: George demetrion
To: National Literacy Advocacy List sponsored by AAACE
Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 5:56 AM
Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] Legislation to Strengthen & Improve America'sJobTraining System
Donna,
It sounds pretty partisan to me. Did you notice the gratuitous attacks on the "obstructionist" Democrats.
George Demetrion
----- Original Message -----
From: Dmartin336 at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 12:23 AM
To: aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: [AAACE-NLA] Legislation to Strengthen & Improve America's JobTraining System
Improving Adult Education: The bill improves adult education by
increasing focus on delivery of the basic skills of reading, writing,
speaking and math; ensuring that instructional practices are based on
scientific research; and increasing accountability for states and local
providers to have measurably improved results in basic skills, GED
graduates, and those entering higher education.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kevin
Smith or Dave Schnittger
January 4, 2005
(202) 225-4527
Workforce Committee Leaders Introduce Legislation to Strengthen &
Improve America's Job Training System
Washington, D.C. - House Education & the Workforce Committee leaders,
led by 21st Century Competitiveness Subcommittee Chairman Howard P.
"Buck" McKeon (R-CA) and Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-OH), today
introduced the Job Training Improvement Act, legislation that would
strengthen and improve America's job training system to help states and
communities ensure workers get the training they need to find good jobs.
Through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) system, job seekers have
access to job training, job counseling, and labor market information to
help them get back on their feet. The proposal is similar to a bill
passed by the House in 2003.
"Improving the nation's job training programs is critical to our
ongoing effort to equip Americans with the resources and skills they
need to find a new job and be successful in today's changing economy,"
said McKeon. "This bill will provide job-seekers with the tools and
flexibility they need, while reducing unnecessary duplication and
inefficiency, to ensure that job training programs are responsive and
effective in helping Americans find a new job and make a quick return to
work."
"I look forward to moving the bill through the House early in the 109th
Congress and am committed to ensuring we enact job training reforms in
this Congress," McKeon added.
"Strengthening job training programs and reauthorizing the Workforce
Investment Act is a top priority for our Committee this year," Boehner
said. "Despite the roadblocks set up by Senate Democrat leaders last
year to block job training reforms from being enacted, Republicans will
continue to focus on the needs of job-seeking Americans and move forward
with reforms to strengthen our job training programs."
In the 108th Congress, a conference on job training reform was stalled
by Senate Democrats who refused to allow House-Senate negotiations to
move forward. The House passed its version of the job training reform
bill on May 8, 2003, and the Senate passed its bill on November 14,
2003. The House moved to go to conference and appointed conferees on
June 3, 2004. On July 14, 2004, Boehner and McKeon sent a letter to
then-Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) urging him to allow the
Senate to appoint conferees, but Sen. Daschle did not responded to the
request. Moreover, on September 22, 2004, Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY)
moved to appoint conferees but was blocked by Senate Minority Whip Harry
Reid (D-NV) - the latest in a long series of obstacles thrown in the
path of the job training reauthorization process by Senate Democratic
leaders. As a result, job training reform was not enacted in the 108th
Congress.
The Job Training Improvement Act would build upon the significant
reforms made in the bipartisan Workforce Investment Act (WIA) that was
enacted in 1998. While those reforms have helped provide workers with
the resources and tools necessary to rejoin the workforce or retrain for
better jobs, areas of inefficiency and duplication remain. Duplication
of services under the current WIA system reduces the amount of money
that could be used to efficiently provide employment and training
services to individuals seeking jobs. Overlap in training programs
under the current WIA law has contributed to the growth of a confusing
patchwork at the state and local level. Governors and state and local
officials need the flexibility to target these resources toward the
unique needs of their communities.
The legislation introduced today would help improve job training
opportunities for Americans striving to get back to work by streamlining
unnecessary bureaucracy, increasing cooperation among workforce
development partners, protecting the rights of faith-based service
providers participating or seeking to participate in the job training
system, and authorizing personal reemployment accounts of up to $3,000
to help unemployed Americans purchase job training and other key
services. While the introduced bill does not include President Bush's
proposal to expand the role of community colleges in job training
efforts, Republicans plan to incorporate it into the bill at some point
during the legislative process.
#####
(A bill summary is included below)
Job Training Improvement Act Summary
Highlights of the Job Training Improvement Act include:
Eliminating duplication and waste: The bill creates a consolidated
funding stream to streamline program administration and create more
program efficiency at the state and local level. Funds continue to be
targeted for those most in need of critical reemployment services.
Priority is given to unemployed and low-income individuals in the adult
grant program.
Employment services to help job seekers get back to work: Under the
bill, employment services continue to be provided as core services in
the one stop career centers. To be clear that such services will
continue, the bill incorporates current employment service functions
into the description of core services. For example, the bill requires
one stop centers to provide labor exchange services, including job
search and placement assistance, as well as appropriate recruitment
services for employers.
Ensuring the one-stop delivery system is demand-driven: The bill
requires state and local workforce investment boards to ensure that the
system is dynamic and reflective of the workforce needs in the local
area, and would increase connections to economic development. The
measure also allows training for incumbent workers so employers may
upgrade the skills of current workers, and would encourage the highest
caliber training providers, including community colleges, to offer
training through the one-stop system.
Removing barriers to job training: The bill eliminates arbitrary
provisions of current law that prevent someone from accessing training
immediately if appropriate to meet his or her employment goals. State
and local areas would have the flexibility to tailor services to meet
individuals' needs.
Allowing faith-based groups to help train and re-train workers: The
bill protects the rights of faith-based organizations participating or
seeking to participate in the nation's job-training system. Democrat
leaders believe faith-based groups should be forced to abandon their
religious identities as a condition of participating in the WIA system,
arguing such groups should not be allowed to take religion into account
when hiring staff. But the Civil Rights Act of 1964 gives faith-based
groups the right to hire workers on a religious basis, and President
Bill Clinton himself signed a number of major laws upholding this right.
Offering worker reemployment accounts: The bill includes a proposal
passed by the House last year and introduced by Rep. Jon Porter (R-NV)
to create personal reemployment accounts of up to $3,000 to help
unemployed Americans purchase job training and other key services, such
as child care, transportation services, and housing assistance as they
strive to return to work. The proposal provides a new, innovative
approach designed to provide unemployed Americans additional
flexibility, greater choice, and more control over their employment
search. Porter will also introduce the proposal as a stand-alone bill.
Improving Adult Education: The bill improves adult education by
increasing focus on delivery of the basic skills of reading, writing,
speaking and math; ensuring that instructional practices are based on
scientific research; and increasing accountability for states and local
providers to have measurably improved results in basic skills, GED
graduates, and those entering higher education.
Enhancing Vocational Rehabilitation: The bill includes a number of
provisions designed to strengthen the 1973 Rehabilitation Act in a
continuing effort to help individuals with disabilities become
employable and achieve full integration into society.
Strengthening partnerships between businesses and job training service
providers: In his FY 2005 budget request, President Bush proposed a
$250 million initiative to strengthen the role of community colleges and
other institutions that provide job training services to Americans
striving to get back to work. While this proposal is not included in
the Job Training Improvement Act introduced today, Republicans believe
enhanced partnerships between local businesses and job training service
providers like community colleges is critical and plan to incorporate
the President's proposal into the bill at some point during the
legislative process.
# # # # #
Donna Martinez
"The world is dangerous not because of those who do harm, but because of those who look at it without doing anything." - Albert Einstein
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