Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, The U.S. Infrastructure system is in critical need of an upgrade. In February 2021, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) graded 11 of 17 infrastructure categories a D+ or worse. Systems across the Nation are in dire need of repair, including our bridges, public transit, roads, and schools.

A recent study by the Center of Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University estimated that a $1.5 trillion infrastructure investment would create 15 million new jobs. Nearly half of these would require training past the high school level. Even without a significant investment, though, infrastructure industries are already struggling to meet workforce demands. Though the need to invest in infrastructure goes back decades, there's renewed momentum today, especially as more than 10 million people remain unemployed across the country as a result of COVID-19, exacerbating the already historic inequities that have limited women and people of color from accessing these jobs. Investments in infrastructure skills training must serve people of color, women, and other communities who have historically been excluded from good careers in infrastructure.

Industry and sector partnerships are a proven strategy for helping workers prepare for jobs that lead to strong career pathways and helping businesses find skilled workers. Congress requires states and local areas to support the development of these partnerships under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), but no dedicated funding has been provided for these activities.

For workers, especially those underrepresented in infrastructure industries, support services like career counseling, child care, and transportation can often be the key to succeed in work-based learning programs. Providing these services may be outside the capacity of a business. Industry partnerships bring business together with community and human service organizations that can make these connections for workers and drastically improve their ability to succeed in training and meet business demand for skilled workers.

This is why I am pleased to introduce with my colleague, Senator Portman, the Building U.S. Infrastructure by Leveraging Demands for Skills Act, or BUILDS Act. The BUILDS Act creates a grant program that would support industry and sector partnerships working with local businesses, industry associations and organizations, labor organizations, state and local workforce boards, economic development agencies and other partners engaged in their communities to encourage industry growth, competitiveness and collaboration to improve worker training, retention and advancement in targeted infrastructure clusters. Additionally, businesses and education providers would be connected to develop classroom curriculum to complement on-the-job learning and workers would receive support services such as mentoring and career counseling to ensure that they are successful from the pre- employment to placement in a full-time position.

As we prepare to tackle critical infrastructure needs nationwide, it's vital we also support a skilled workforce that can take on this task. This bill will help foster strong industry partnerships and career pathways in infrastructure fields to ensure we can train and upskill workers for millions of good-paying jobs and also strengthen our economy as we begin to recover from COVID-19. I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle consider the BUILDS Act as a necessary component to any investment in our nation's infrastructure. ______

By Mr. McCONNELL:

S. 1091. A bill to designate certain future interstates and high priority corridors in Kentucky, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

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