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Hagan applauds bipartisan compromise that includes her AMERICA Works Act
Story Date: 5/23/2014
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Source: PRESS RELEASE, 5/22/14
U.S. Senator Kay Hagan’s bipartisan AMERICA Works Act is moving forward as part of an agreement announced to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act, the primary federal law that supports workforce development and job training programs. Hagan's commonsense jobs bill, which doesn’t add a dime to the deficit, helps close the skills gap by ensuring unemployed North Carolinians receive training for jobs that are available in their local areas right now.
A bipartisan, bicameral group of Members announced an agreement to move forward with a reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act, and the bill is now expected to be approved in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
“This bill will reauthorize an important law that helps people get the services they need to succeed in today’s workforce, and I am pleased that it includes my commonsense legislation to help unemployed North Carolinians get back to work, make it easier for businesses hire qualified workers, and boost our state’s economy,” said Hagan. “In this economy, no family should struggle to make ends meet while employers struggle to fill open positions. I’ve heard from too many industries across North Carolina – ranging from manufacturing to welding to biotech – that there is a disconnect between the skills held by job seekers and the skills they look for in potential employees. The AMERICA Works Act helps to solve this disparity, and I urge my colleagues to act quickly to approve this important legislation and ensure our job training programs are preparing workers for success in the 21st century economy.”
Hagan introduced the bipartisan AMERICA Works Act with Republican Senator Dean Heller of Nevada and Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly of Indiana last year. The Workforce Investment Act funds a nationwide system of one-stop training centers, where out-of-work North Carolinians can find helpful job placement and job training services.
The AMERICA Works Act would allow operators of these one-stop centers to prioritize funding for training that will lead to recognized postsecondary credentials sought by employers in the area. These demand-driven programs train North Carolinians for jobs available locally, in industries that range from aerospace to machining to textiles.
The original Workforce Investment Act became law in 1998, but has been overdue for reauthorization since 2003. Hagan has listened to businesses, community colleges, local workforce boards, and job seekers from all over North Carolina to modernize the legislation so that it reflects the needs of North Carolina in the 21st-century global economy.
Today, more than 290,000 North Carolinians remain out of work, yet 67 percent of U.S. manufacturers - one of North Carolina's most important industries - report a shortage of available qualified workers. Elsewhere, North Carolina furniture companies can't find enough workers with up-to-date skills to operate new, sophisticated machinery. Recent data show there are over 4 million job openings in the United States, of which 243,000 are in manufacturing.
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