A Stronger Workforce for America Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Scott for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bipartisan A Stronger Workforce for America Act, which makes critical improvements to America's job training laws that will close the skills gap, strengthen the relationship between employers and the local labor market, and put more Americans on the pathway to successful careers.
I congratulate Chairwoman Foxx and Ranking Member Scott for their bipartisan collaboration to bring this bill to the floor, defying all the negative conventional wisdom about this place because this is a really critical program at a time when our U.S. economy has 9 million job openings.
My district in eastern Connecticut is the fastest growing labor market in our State and the second fastest in New England. The Federal job training program that we are discussing here today has been a huge contributor to that growth.
Back in 2015, I hosted then-Labor Secretary Tom Perez at Electric Boat's shipyard to meet with our local WIOA workforce board to discuss the looming need for shipbuilding skills to meet the sharply increased demand by the U.S. Navy for submarine construction.
Mr. Speaker, 5 months later, in September 2015, the Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative program was launched using a $6 million WIOA grant by the U.S. Department of Labor. Since its establishment in 2016, nearly 3,500 workers in eastern Connecticut have been hired from the WIOA-funded pipeline to high-quality careers in the Electric Boat shipyard.
As you can see from this chart, Mr. Speaker, starting in 2016, there has been steady growth. There was a little dip during COVID, but last year, 945 graduates from their pre-apprenticeship program left the WIOA classes to begin their careers in the metal trades.
Because of this highly successful training pipeline, EB has had the workforce to meet the growing build rate that it continues to this day. Two months ago, EB announced that their target for 2024 is to hire 5,300 workers to, again, meet the needs for the Virginia program and the Columbia program.
Mr. Speaker, we need pre-apprenticeship programs like the manufacturing pipeline to fill those 9 million job openings in the U.S. economy. This bill will do just that by, number one, ensuring that more WIOA dollars are going directly to upskilling workers and on-the-job learning, streamlining the eligible training provider list to ensure that they are delivering good outcomes and are aligned with the skill and hiring needs of employers, and strengthening the workforce education programs at community colleges to make sure that they align with in-demand jobs by emphasizing programs with industry partnerships, providing more flexibility to one-stop operators to expand access to support services for trainees who need assistance during these 8-week classes for electricians, 10 weeks for welders, with transportation, childcare, or other essentials to ensure that they can successfully focus on their curriculum and complete their job training program.
Mr. Speaker, this is not just a program for young adults. It is also a program that helps workers of all ages.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the American Association of Retired Persons in support of this legislation, H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act. AARP, April 4, 2024. Hon. Mike Johnson, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Speaker Johnson and Leader Jeffries: AARP, which advocates for the more than 100 million Americans age 50 and older, writes in support of H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act. This bipartisan legislation modernizes the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs to better align with the current labor market while strengthening accountability to ensure the programs provide adequate job training and career services to help older job seekers.
In a tight labor market, older job seekers continue to face long-term unemployment at a greater rate than their younger counterparts. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment data for February 2024 finds that 24.9 percent of job seekers age 55 and older were long-term unemployed compared to 17.2 percent of those ages 16 to 54. The WIOA programs are essential for helping these older job seekers remain in the workforce, which helps their long-term financial security.
H.R. 6655 provides greater flexibility in designing job training for older workers that considers their existing skills and past work experience. It offers training and resources to encourage entrepreneurship and nontraditional employment, which is especially attractive to many older workers interested in options beyond traditional wage and salaried positions. As work requirements continue to change and the use of technology increases in the workforce, we are pleased this bill provides training in digital literacy and information technology for older workers. Additionally, increasing accountability through performance reporting based on race, ethnicity, sex, and age will help determine if the WIOA programs are adequately assisting older individuals who want to re-enter or remain in the workforce.
AARP urges Congress to pass H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act, as it will strengthen our nation's workforce by providing older workers with the assistance they need to continue working, improving their financial security. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me or have your staff contact Holly Biglow on our Government Affairs team. Sincerely, Bill Sweeney, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs.
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Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, again, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, which, at this moment in our economy, is so critically needed.
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