Competitive Workforce

Witnesses to be announced. (Note: this is part 5 in a series of hearings.)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today hailed the Obama administration for taking steps to expand access to college and other education and job training programs for workers who have lost their jobs. President Obama announced this effort as today’s April jobs report showed the U.S. economy lost 593,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate shot to 8.9 percent.

“As we continue working to turn our economy around, we have to do everything we can to help the millions of Americans who have suffered job losses in this recession get the education, training and skills they need to return to the workforce. President Obama’s initiatives are commonsense steps that will make college and training programs more accessible and affordable for laid-off workers by allowing them to enroll in postsecondary education without forfeiting their unemployment benefits. In addition, it’s critical that he reminded financial aid officers that they can adjust financial aid packages based on recent layoffs, so families aren’t paying for college based on incomes they no longer earn.

On Tuesday, May 5, the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness held a hearing to examine best practices for improving adult education and family literacy. This is the fourth hearing the committee is holding as it works toward reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act, which provides job training, education programs, vocational rehabilitation and other services to Americans.

(This is a guest blog post by Rep. Paul Tonko, Education and Labor Committee Member.)

As we celebrate Earth Day for the 39th year – by volunteering in our local areas through our own individual efforts and raising awareness globally – we must all do our part.  This year represents a great opportunity for all of us to ensure a cleaner, safer and greener environment.  We can and we must achieve these ends.  A major component of shifting our economy from one that pollutes, relies on carbon based fuels and approaches problem solving from an antiquated angle is no longer acceptable.  We must all go beyond the traditional “Think Globally, Act Locally” mantra to curb our environmental impacts.  We can act personally by lowering our thermostats, using compact fluorescent bulbs and weatherizing our homes.  We can act locally by creating no idle zones, making our cities and towns more pedestrian friendly and driving energy efficient vehicles.  We can act regionally by building on mass transit, supporting high speed rail initiatives and thinking more strategically.  We can act nationally by passing a cap and trade bill, supporting improved efficiency measures and catalyzing a green energy work force.

Here in Congress we have taken the first steps towards greening our workforce through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Investing in the green economy and green jobs will not only improve the environment and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but will also help spur long-term economic growth, witnesses told the Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee.  

“Green industry, green technology and green jobs are our future, and will play a key role in our economic recovery,” said U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chair of the subcommittee. “I am confident that if we stay on course and encourage American ingenuity and innovation, we can emerge from this national recession stronger than we were before.”

On Tuesday, March 31, the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections of the House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing to examine green jobs and their role in our nation’s economic recovery. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act set aside $50 billion in grants and tax incentives to promote energy efficiency and the renewable energy sector. Congress also approved the Green Jobs Act in 2007, a program to help train American workers for jobs in the renewable energy and energy-efficiency industries.

On Tuesday, March 31, the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections of the House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing to examine green jobs and their role in our nation’s economic recovery. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act set aside $50 billion in grants and tax incentives to promote energy efficiency and the renewable energy sector. Congress also approved the Green Jobs Act in 2007, a program to help train American workers for jobs in the renewable energy and energy-efficiency industries.

The Akron Beacon Journal had an op-ed from Larry Thompson, owner of Thompson Electric, about how the Employee Free Choice Act is good for business and good for workers.

Thompson Electric is proof that unions are good for workers and good for business. Our positive, long-term partnership with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is one of the main reasons that I, as an entrepreneur and business owner, support passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. More workers across the United States should be given a free and fair chance to form a union, just like our employees.

Our union workers receive the most cutting-edge job training available, and it pays off through lower injury rates, increased productivity and a strengthened ability to serve the people of Ohio. The union difference is not only impressive, but a valuable commodity in our line of work.

Mr. Thompson makes a fine argument that businesses and communities benefit with higher paid and higher skilled workers and, thus, the Employee Free Choice Act is needed to reform current law. We encourage you to read the entire op-ed.

This is the third in a series of hearings the House Education and Labor Committee is holding to examine innovative strategies for improving job training and education for America’s workers as it works toward reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Now more than ever, the nation’s job training programs must be improved to give workers the skills and training they will need as the economy starts to recover, witnesses told the House Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness Subcommittee today. Today’s hearing was the second in a series of hearings the Education and Labor Committee is holding as it works toward reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act.

This is the second in a series of hearings the House Education and Labor Committee is holding to examine innovative strategies for improving job training and education for America’s workers as it works toward reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act.

(This is a guest blog post by Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.)

Last night, the President called on all Americans to commit themselves to one year of college or postsecondary training.  

Last week, the President signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to create or save 3.5 million jobs.

Yet, an estimated 80 – 90 million adults lack the basic education and skills to answer the President’s call or to qualify for the jobs that will be created.

According to a recent analysis by Anthony Carnevale at Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, 54 percent of these jobs will require at least some postsecondary education and high school dropouts will be eligible for only about one- fourth of them.

We will have to call upon our workforce development system that is supported through the workforce investment act to bridge that gap.

Tomorrow, the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness will hold its second hearing on the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act.  We will hear testimony about the innovative ways that our stakeholders in the workforce investment system are working together to create pathways to success for workers who need basic skills development, a high school diploma, or English as a second language to compete and fully participate in a 21st century workforce.

Tune in tomorrow and send us your examples of innovative practices in your community.

Today, February 26th, the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness will hold a second hearing about New Innovations and Best Practices Under the Workforce Investment Act at 10:00 am in 2175 Rayburn House Office Building.  The hearing will be broadcast live here.

Read Subcommittee Chairman Rubén Hinojosa's blog post on the hearing »

Building a Strong, Competitive 21st Century Economy

Economists across the board agree that the key to jumpstarting our economy is putting Americans back to work quickly. Earlier this month major U.S. corporations announced another 75,000 in job cuts, adding to the 2.6 million jobs our economy has lost in the last year.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will start rebuilding our economy immediately by creating or saving 3 to 4 million jobs – including hundreds of thousands of jobs in the education sector – and provide workers with the training and skills they need to succeed in green and other emerging industries. In addition to creating jobs in other sectors of our economy, the following education investments will save or boost job growth:

(This is a guest blog post by Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.)

America’s workers are in dire straits -- 3.6 million jobs have been lost since December 2007, with 598,000 jobs shed last month alone and unemployment surging to 7.6 percent.

Worse, we have failed to provide our workers with the education and skills that would help them weather the storm.  According to the National Commission on Adult Literacy, 80 to 90 million U.S. adults, roughly half of the nation’s workforce, currently lack the basic education and communication skills required for jobs that pay family sustaining wages.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which includes $4 billion for job training to help prepare laid-off, adult, and younger workers for work in emerging industries, is a critical first step toward getting America back to work.

However, our Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which authorizes our job training, adult education, and vocational rehabilitative services programs, is also long overdue for an upgrade. The current authorization expired in 2003, and the law has not been reauthorized since 1998 – when the economy was stronger and we were adding jobs rather than shedding them.

This hearing examined strategies – including investments in rebuilding crumbling infrastructure – to create good-paying jobs in order to put the nation’s stalled economy on the road to recovery. More than 2.2 million American workers have lost their jobs in the past 12 months and millions more are still looking for permanent employment.

On Friday, October 24 at 10:00 a.m., the Committee will hold a hearing examining strategies – including investments in rebuilding crumbling infrastructure – to create good-paying jobs in order to put the nation’s stalled economy on the road to recovery. More than 2.2 million American workers have lost their jobs in the past 12 months and millions more are still looking for permanent employment.

“Building an Economic Recovery Package: Creating and Preserving Jobs in America”
Scheduled on October 24, 2008 at 10 a.m. in room 2175 Rayburn H.O.B.

Last week, Chairman George Miller asked Department of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to withdraw two proposals that would roll back worker protections contained in the nation’s H-2A and H-2B guest worker programs. This is in light of an Office of Inspector General investigation critical of the Department’s oversight of the permanent worker program -- the same oversight system Labor proposes to use in the temporary and seasonal guest worker programs.  

Following an urgent meeting held by Democratic leaders and top economists in Washington on October 13, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced that House Democrats will begin laying the groundwork for a comprehensive economic recovery and job creation program, including a hearing to be held by the House Education and Labor Committee. Chairman George Miller said the hearing will focus on the nation’s severe unemployment outlook and strategies to spur job growth.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced today that 159,000 jobs were lost in September, the steepest decline in five years and the 9th consecutive month of job losses.

Today’s jobs report highlights the massive destruction that the Bush-Cheney-McCain wrecking ball has done to our economy, workers, and families. Eight years of their misguided policies have culminated in nine straight months of job losses. Two million workers have been unemployed for more than 27 months – 167,000 more than in August. Our nation is now dealing with the largest financial crisis since the Great Depression.

The Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on Immigration and Custom Enforcement workplace raids and the effects of the raids on local communities, including the impact on children, most of whom are American citizens. Witnesses explored how immigration enforcement could be improved in order to protect children.

* 1 Member voting present