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ETA News Release: [02/12/2003]
Contact Name: Elissa Pruett
Phone Number: (202) 693-4676

Secretary Elaine L. Chao Testifies on Administration’s Proposals to Promote Job Growth and Improve Worker Training

WASHINGTON—Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today urged the House Committee on Education and the Workforce to quickly enact President Bush’s Job Growth package and adopt the Administration’s approach to reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act in order to preserve the hard-won gains the economy has made, while speeding growth, adding new jobs around the country and expanding the reach of prosperity in both the short and the long term.

In her testimony, Chao commended the members of the committee for their leadership and prompt action in introducing the “Back to Work Incentive Act,” H.R. 444, that, once enacted, would make available the Personal Reemployment Accounts proposed by the President in his Job Growth package.

Said Chao, “Because experience has shown that unemployed workers have a wide range of needs, the Personal Reemployment Accounts allow the worker to custom design a reemployment services package in accordance with those needs. Some individuals may determine they need extensive retraining in order to compete for jobs in a high-growth industry while others may only need to complete a short-term computer course or purchase child care in order to return to work quickly.”

In regard to the expiration of the five-year authorization for WIA on Sept. 30, 2003, Chao stated that the Department of Labor had gone to considerable effort over the past year to gather input from stakeholders on how they believe the workforce investment system can be strengthened to help the country address the challenges workers face in today’s economy.

The Administration’s proposal is designed to continue to transform and further integrate the One-Stop Career Center delivery system into a cohesive workforce investment system that can respond quickly and effectively to the changing needs of business and the new economy; build on and improve “what works” in the system; eliminate barriers to successful implementation and fix what doesn’t work. Finally, the proposal seeks to improve links with the private sector and with post-secondary education and training, social services, and economic development systems to prepare the 21^st century workforce for career opportunities in high growth sectors.

The full text of the testimony will be available on the Internet at www.dol.gov.

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