WASHINGTON D.C. – Representative Jackie Walorski (IN-02) made the following statement after passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act today Wednesday in the House of Representatives by a vote of 415-6:
“Today is an important day for the hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers looking for work and employers trying to fill jobs. Our country faces a severe skills gap where the abilities of job seekers do not always match the needs of job fillers,” said Walorski. “The current job training system is supposed to help job seekers find work through training services. Unfortunately, this system is stuck in bureaucratic limbo. Roughly 380,000 Hoosiers are looking for work, including veterans, individuals with disabilities, and at-risk youth. We cannot expect a modern workforce to succeed with an ineffective training system. Today’s bipartisan legislation will prepare workers for a competitive global economy and help businesses find skilled employees. I want to thank leaders of both parties in the House and the Senate for working together to pass legislation that will empower job seekers and fillers.”
H.R. 803, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), strengthens and streamlines federal programs meant to train people and help them find jobs, including specific programs that target vulnerable groups, such as laid-off workers and disabled veterans.
The legislation would eliminate 15 duplicative federal programs and overhaul requirements throughout the job training system to help job seekers gain valuable employment skills. This bill would also enable businesses to identify in-demand skills and connect workers with opportunities to build those skills and require core workforce programs to develop a single, comprehensive state plan to reduce administrative costs and streamline reporting requirements.
The bill now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
