Federal

Navigating to Success Act

Source: Congress.gov · 762 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill modifies the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to clarify and expand career services available to adults and dislocated workers (people who lost jobs through no fault of their own). The bill is called the "Navigating to Success Act."

Who It Affects

Adults receiving career services under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, dislocated workers, nonprofit service providers, and community-based organizations that deliver employment services.

Key Provisions

• Programs must assess skill levels including literacy, digital literacy, numeracy, English language proficiency, competencies, abilities, foreign academic and professional credentials, and supportive service needs through diagnostic testing and other assessment tools (Sec. 2(a)(1)) • Programs must provide accurate information about job openings, job skills needed, education and training programs available, career pathways, program quality, how foreign certifications compare to needed skills, and information about occupations in demand including earnings and advancement opportunities (Sec. 2(a)(2)) • Programs must help people identify eligibility for financial aid including Federal financial aid under the Higher Education Act of 1965 and state-funded education and training programs not funded under this Act (Sec. 2(a)(3)) • Programs must provide individual counseling including career counseling, career planning, and assessment and development of employability skills such as learning skills, communication skills, interviewing skills, punctuality, and professional conduct (Sec. 2(a)(4)) • Community-based organizations can deliver services to individuals with barriers to employment alongside nonprofit service providers (Sec. 2(b))

What Changes

The bill expands what career services must include and clarifies that both nonprofit service providers and community-based organizations can deliver these services to people facing barriers to employment.

Important Definitions

None defined in bill text.

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 657 To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to clarify the career services provided to adults and dislocated workers, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 31, 2023 Mr. CASTRO of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce A BILL To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to clarify the career services provided to adults and dis- located workers, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Navigating to Success 4 Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. CAREER SERVICES. 6 (a) SERVICES PROVIDED.—Subparagraph (A) of sec- 7 tion 134(c)(2) of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor- 8 tunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3174(c)(2)) is amended— 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:28 Feb 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H657.IH H657 pbinns on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 657 IH (1) by amending clause (iii) to read as follows: 1 ‘‘(iii) initial assessment of skill levels 2 (including literacy, digital literacy, 3 numeracy, and English language pro- 4 ficiency), competencies, abilities, current 5 applicable foreign academic and profes- 6 sional credentials, guidance and services on 7 transferring high-skilled foreign certifi- 8 cations, and supportive service needs, 9 which may include diagnostic testing and 10 use of other assessment tools;’’; 11 (2) by amending clause (vi) to read as follows: 12 ‘‘(vi) provision of workforce and labor 13 market employment statistics information 14 and related skills development information, 15 including the provision of accurate infor- 16 mation relating to local, regional, and na- 17 tional labor market areas, including— 18 ‘‘(I) job vacancy listings in such 19 labor market areas; 20 ‘‘(II) information on job skills 21 and credentials necessary to obtain 22 the jobs described in subclause (I); 23 ‘‘(III) information on education 24 and skills development programs that 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:28 Feb 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H657.IH H657 pbinns on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 657 IH are available for attaining needed 1 skills and credentials for the jobs de- 2 scribed in subclause (I), including in- 3 formation— 4 ‘‘(aa) on the pathways to 5 such skills and credentials (in- 6 cluding information on career 7 pathway programs in the local 8 area); 9 ‘‘(bb) on the quality of such 10 education and training programs, 11 consistent with the performance 12 information provided under 13 clause (vii); and 14 ‘‘(cc) on the comparability of 15 current foreign academic and 16 professional certifications to 17 needed skills and credentials; and 18 ‘‘(IV) information relating to 19 local occupations in demand and the 20 earnings, skill requirements, and op- 21 portunities for advancement for such 22 occupations;’’; 23 (3) by amending clause (xi) to read as follows: 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:28 Feb 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H657.IH H657 pbinns on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 657 IH ‘‘(xi) assistance in identifying and es- 1 tablishing eligibility for programs of finan- 2 cial aid assistance for training and edu- 3 cation programs that are not funded under 4 this Act, including Federal financial aid 5 under title IV of the Higher Education Act 6 of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) and 7 through State-funded education and train- 8 ing programs;’’; and 9 (4) in clause (xii), by striking subclauses (IV) 10 through (XI) and inserting the following: 11 ‘‘(IV) individual counseling, in- 12 cluding career counseling; 13 ‘‘(V) career planning; or 14 ‘‘(VI) assessment and develop- 15 ment of employability skills, including 16 development of learning skills, com- 17 munication skills, interviewing skills, 18 punctuality, and professional conduct, 19 to prepare individuals for unsub- 20 sidized employment or training; and’’. 21 (b) DELIVERY OF SERVICES.—Subparagraph (C) of 22 section 134(c)(2) of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor- 23 tunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3174(c)(2)) is amended by inserting 24 ‘‘or community-based organizations to serve individuals 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:28 Feb 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H657.IH H657 pbinns on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 657 IH with barriers to employment,’’ after ‘‘nonprofit service 1 providers,’’. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:28 Feb 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H657.IH H657 pbinns on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS

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