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ETA News Release: [03/04/2005]
Contact Name: Eryn Witcher or Mike Volpe
Phone Number: (202) 693-4676 or x3984
Release Number: 05-0365-NAT

Head of Employment and Training Discusses Job Training Reform During Address to Workforce System Leaders

DeRocco Praises House’s Work, Looks Forward to Continued Progress in the Senate

WASHINGTON — Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco today addressed approximately 1,500 representatives from the workforce investment system, business and education on the need for job training reform through the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). DeRocco's remarks came during a policy forum held at the National Association of Workforce Board's 2005 Forum. Speech excerpts follow:

“There is a global war for talent going on in the world today and the best and brightest are no longer automatically being produced by or attracted to the United States. As workforce professionals we should take that personally.”

“So what is the solution? It is a flexible, integrated system with strong state leadership and effective local execution and customization. It is a system where governors move resources to address regional needs and mayors and county commissioners can serve employers to preserve jobs rather than sit helplessly by until those jobs have already disappeared.”

“That is why President Bush has proposed a sweeping reform of our nation's job training system. The centerpiece of this reform is the consolidation of our four major WIA and Wagner-Peyser funding streams into a single job training grant and providing governors the option to include an additional five related programs into that single grant.”

DeRocco closed her remarks by citing President Bush's personal involvement in the issue as a reason to believe that much can and should be accomplished to remain relevant for the 21^st century economy.

For more information on Job Training Reform and Workforce Investment Act Reauthorization, please visit http://www.doleta.gov/Job_Training_WIA/. For more information on the Department of Labor's employment and training programs, please visit www.doleta.gov.

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