Expressing Sense of House in Support of the Goals of National One-Stop Month

EXPRESSING SENSE OF HOUSE IN SUPPORT OF THE GOALS OF NATIONAL ONE-STOP MONTH -- (House of Representatives - May 22, 2006)

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Mr. MCKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 808, a measure expressing support for the goals of National One-Stop Month. As we stand here today we find ourselves in an increasingly competitive job market, one in which the knowledge and skills of each job seeker play a critical role in determining whether the individual will succeed. And while our economy has created more than 5.2 million new jobs since August 2003, we still have work ahead of us to provide the resources and training workers need to claim and keep these new jobs.

Testifying before the House Education and the Workforce Committee several years ago, former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan told Members of our panel that providing ``rigorous education and ongoing training to all members of our society'' is essential for future job growth and worker security in the United States. His words ring all the more true today, as our workforce takes on the new realities of an increasingly competitive global economy.

Eight years ago, when Congress passed the Workforce Investment Act, we did so with an eye toward preparing our working men and women for the challenges of a turn-of-the-century economy. Indeed, the 21st century is no longer the age of machine and muscle but, rather, has become the age of the mind.

And central to our efforts in crafting the Workforce Investment Act was the establishment of the one-stop system. One-stop career centers are aimed at providing a single, convenient, central location to offer job training and other employment-related services. And they have been remarkably successful for countless Americans.

In my view, the establishment of one-stops in 1998 was the single most important federal job training accomplishment in a generation. We brought dozens of disparate services under one roof, providing a better deal for job seekers and a better investment for American taxpayers.

Last year, this House approved legislation to build upon the success of the one-stop system, and as we hope for further congressional action on that measure, we take time this month to celebrate the achievements of those who have been involved in the one-stops--including those providing services and those benefiting from them.

Mr. Speaker, May is National One-Stop Month, but for those seeking high-quality employment services, the one-stops are there for them all year long. I applaud them, and I look for them to play an even bigger role in our job training system in the decades to come. I thank my colleague Mr. Keller, the chairman of the 21st Century Competitiveness Subcommittee, for bringing this resolution to the floor, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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