Workforce Development Programs

Floor Speech

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Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, ensuring Americans are capable of filling the skills gap and finding quality jobs through stakeholder-led and accountable workforce development programs has been one of my highest priorities in Washington.

That is why I was so proud last Congress to see legislation I sponsored, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, or WIOA, enacted into law. WIOA was the first major workforce development legislation to be enacted in more than 15 years and included many vital provisions to modernize, streamline, and localize our workforce development system.

The highway bill that passed the House earlier today included a frontline workforce development program intended to address human resources needs in public transportation that was not subject to the reforms contained within WIOA.

In order to ensure that program is assessed consistently with other Federal workforce development programs and targeted to areas that have identified needs in public transportation as part of their broader workforce development programs, I introduced a bipartisan amendment to the highway bill with my colleague from Washington (Ms. DelBene) that applied WIOA's performance measures and coordination reforms to the program.

All of our Federal workforce development programs should be assessed in a consistent manner and be considered as part of an overall package tailored to State and local needs that provide stakeholders on the ground greater input and control. That is why I am also pleased the House adopted our bipartisan amendment as part of the broader transportation package and strengthened the frontline workforce development program in order to better serve the workers who learn skills through the program and those policymakers who evaluate the programs to improve its future outcomes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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