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U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) and Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis requesting more information about the president’s latest job training proposal.

During his State of the Union address, the president called on Congress to “cut through the maze of confusing [job] training programs” and implement “one program, one website, and one place to go for all the information and help [job seekers] need.”

In their letter, the committee leaders commend the administration for acknowledging the overwhelming number of federal employment and training programs are a disservice to workers, referencing a 2011 report by the Government Accountability Office that identified 47 separate job training programs spread across 9 federal agencies and costing taxpayers $18 billion annually.

Reps. Kline and Foxx are requesting information that will help reconcile the president’s latest call for “one program” with his September plan to create additional job training programs at a cost of $9 billion to taxpayers:

 

Given our sincere interest in working with the president on reforms that will improve job training services, we respectfully request more details on his recent remarks. We are especially interested to learn more about the president’s call for “one program, one website, and one place” for workers to receive employment support. As you may recall, in September of last year, the president asked Congress to create two additional job training programs, without any request for consolidation of existing programs. We welcome any information that reconciles the president’s previous support for additional programs with his most recent plan.

House Education and the Workforce Committee Republicans are working to develop a leaner, more accountable job training system capable of filling the demands of employers and meeting the changing needs of workers. Last year, committee members introduced three pieces of legislation that lay the foundation for a 21st century workforce investment system. Click the links below to learn more about each bill.

• The Workforce Investment Improvement Act (H.R. 2295)
   
• The Streamlining Workforce Development Programs Act (H.R. 3610)
   
• The Local Job Opportunities and Business Success (JOBS) Act (H.R. 3611)

To read the full letter, click here.