ETA News Release: [Feb. 6, 2006]
Contact Name: David James or Mike Volpe
Phone Number: 202-693-4676 or 202-693-3984
Assistant Secretary DeRocco Outlines Employment and Training Administration’s FY 2007 Budget Plans
Budget Supports Agenda for a Competitive U.S. Workforce
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco today outlined details of the President’s FY 2007 employment and training budget supporting an agenda for a competitive U.S. workforce.
“This budget reflects the Administration’s understanding that competition in the 21st century global marketplace demands new approaches to career advancement,” said DeRocco. “The President’s Career Advancement Accounts will give people a flexible tool to take advantage of education and skills development resources as they need them at various points in their lives.”
This new proposal would expand the delivery of workforce education and training services by making them directly available to individuals. Increased global competition necessitates a clear-cut approach to meet employers’ needs for prepared, postsecondary-educated workers.
Approximately $3.4 billion has been requested for Career Advancement Accounts. The accounts would be available to approximately 800,000 new, transitioning, or incumbent workers seeking to upgrade their skills. With account allotments of up to $3,000 per year, workers can gain access to a wide variety of education and training providers, including community colleges, in order to enhance their skills.
Besides Career Advancement Accounts, the President’s 2007 budget allocates $169.6 million in Workforce Investment Act competitive grants, including $150 million for Community-Based Job Training Grants and $19.6 million for the Prisoner Re-entry Initiative.
The President’s 2007 budget proposes legislation to transfer the $50 million YouthBuild program from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to the Labor Department’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA). It also expands efforts to reduce improper payments, including an initiative to combat identity theft in the unemployment insurance program. The complete ETA budget request for fiscal year 2007 is $9.4 billion.
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