A resolution designating September 2020 as "National Workforce Development Month".

III 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. RES. 690 Designating September 2020 as ‘‘National Workforce Development Month’’. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. ENZI, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. YOUNG, Ms. COR- TEZ MASTO, Mr. CARPER, Mr. BRAUN, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. DURBIN, Ms. HIRONO, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. MUR- PHY, Ms. ROSEN, Mr. BARRASSO, Ms. CANTWELL, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. MANCHIN, Mr. KAINE, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Ms. SMITH, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. MERKLEY, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. PETERS, Mrs. HYDE- SMITH, Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. CRAMER, and Mr. DAINES) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Designating September 2020 as ‘‘National Workforce Development Month’’. Whereas investment in the education, training, and career ad- vancement of the workforce in the United States, known as ‘‘workforce development’’, is crucial to the ability of the United States to compete in the global economy; Whereas collaboration among Governors, local governments, State and local education, workforce, and human services agencies, community colleges, local businesses, employ- ment service providers, community-based organizations, and workforce development boards provides for long- VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:31 Sep 14, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR690.ATS SR690 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •SRES 690 ATS term, sustainable, and successful workforce development across traditional sectors and emerging industries; Whereas middle-skill jobs, which require more than a high school diploma but not a 4-year degree, comprise 52 per- cent of the labor market, but only 42 percent of workers in the United States have been able to access training at that level, creating a discrepancy that may limit growth in changing industries such as health care, manufac- turing, and information technology; Whereas 76 percent of business leaders say greater invest- ment in skills training would help their businesses; Whereas, during the first 6 months of 2020 in the United States— (1) tens of millions of individuals filed for unemploy- ment benefits; (2) more than 50 percent of job losses were con- centrated among workers earning less than $40,000 per year; and (3) workers with a high school diploma or a lower level of educational attainment were displaced from jobs at nearly 3 times the rate of workers with a bachelor’s degree; Whereas, in 2014, Congress reauthorized the Workforce In- novation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) with overwhelming bipartisan support in recognition of the need to strengthen the focus of the United States on the skills necessary to fill jobs in local and regional in- dustries; Whereas the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) supports employment, training, and VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:31 Sep 14, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR690.ATS SR690 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •SRES 690 ATS support services for individuals with barriers to employ- ment, including— (1) individuals who are low-income; (2) individuals who are out of work, including the long-term unemployed; (3) individuals displaced by outsourcing; (4) individuals living in rural areas or areas with persistently high unemployment; (5) individuals looking to learn new skills; and (6) individuals with disabilities; Whereas the more than 550 workforce development boards and 2,500 American Job Centers are a driving force be- hind growing regional economies by providing training, resources, and assistance to workers who aim to compete in the 21st century economy; Whereas ongoing State and local implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) provides unprecedented opportunities to de- velop the skills of workers in the United States through access to effective workforce education and training, in- cluding the development and delivery of proven strategies such as sector partnerships, career pathways, integrated education and training, work-based learning models, and paid internships; Whereas, in 2018, programs authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.)— (1) served nearly 6,000,000 young people and adults; (2) exceeded employment targets across all pro- grams; and VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:31 Sep 14, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR690.ATS SR690 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •SRES 690 ATS (3) helped more than 1,500,000 individuals, includ- ing English language learners, gain skills and credentials to help the individuals succeed in the labor market; Whereas State programs established under the Wagner- Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. 49 et seq.)— (1) ensured that more than 5,400,000 unemployed workers, including more than 500,000 veterans, had ac- cess to career services through American Job Centers in 2018; and (2) are a foundational part of the workforce develop- ment system; Whereas workforce development programs will play a critical role in addressing the expected 2,400,000 unfilled manu- facturing jobs over the next decade; Whereas community colleges and other workforce develop- ment training providers across the United States are well situated— (1) to train the next generation of workers in the United States; and (2) to address the educational challenges created by emerging industries and technological advancements; Whereas participation in a career and technical education (re- ferred to in this preamble as ‘‘CTE’’) program decreases the risk of students dropping out of high school, and all 50 States and the District of Columbia report higher graduation rates for CTE students, as compared to other students; Whereas community and technical colleges operate as open access institutions serving millions of students annually at a comparatively low cost; VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:31 Sep 14, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR690.ATS SR690 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •SRES 690 ATS Whereas the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Public Law 115–224; 132 Stat. 1563) supports the development and implementa- tion of high-quality CTE programs that— (1) combine rigorous academic content with occupa- tional skills; and (2) served approximately 12,500,000 high school and college students between 2018 and 2019; Whereas there are more than 500,000 registered apprentices in the United States, and there is growing and bipartisan support for expanding earn-and-learn strategies to help current and future workers gain skills and work experi- ence; Whereas the federally supported workforce system and part- ner programs— (1) have helped rebuild the economy of the United States and provide increased economic opportunities; and (2) provide a pathway into 21st century jobs that support families while ensuring that businesses in the United States find the skilled workforce needed to com- pete in the global economy; and Whereas workforce development is crucial to sustaining eco- nomic security for workers in the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) designates September 2020 as ‘‘National 2 Workforce Development Month’’; 3 (2) supports Federal initiatives to promote 4 workforce development; and 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:31 Sep 14, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR690.ATS SR690 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •SRES 690 ATS (3) acknowledges that workforce development 1 plays a crucial role in supporting workers and grow- 2 ing the economy. 3 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:31 Sep 14, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR690.ATS SR690 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS