Empowering Workers to Succeed

On Wednesday House and Senate leaders announced a bipartisan deal to reform the nation’s workforce development system. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) will streamline a maze of duplicative programs and help hardworking Americans prepare for in-demand careers. Read highlights from press reports on the compromise: The compromise measure would eliminate 15 of 47 existing federal w... Read more »

Today, a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers announced that they have reached a deal to improve the nation’s workforce development system through new legislation, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The bill, which will now be considered by both the House and Senate, modernizes and improves existing federal workforce development programs, helps workers attain skills for 21st ... Read more »

Tomorrow Labor Secretary Thomas Perez will testify before the House Education and the Workforce Committee on the department’s budget and policy priorities for the upcoming fiscal year. This will be the secretary’s first appearance before the committee since his confirmation, so committee members are eager to discuss a broad range of topics and concerns. Here are five critical questions for the sec... Read more »

This committee has convened numerous hearings in Washington to examine the challenges and opportunities facing the nation’s classrooms and workplaces. Whenever possible, we like to bring the voices of everyday Americans to the Capitol to learn their ideas on how to move our country forward. But it’s even better when we have the opportunity to get out of Washington and into local communities, which... Read more »

Here in Arizona, we not only enjoy fantastic winter weather, but also great traditions of educational opportunities and a pro-growth business environment. In fact, today we will hear from some of our great educational institutions on the innovative ways they are working to deliver education to our students, as well as, how they connect with local businesses to fill the pipeline for tomorrow’s work... Read more »

I recently visited Southwest Career and Technical Academy here in Nevada's Third District and met with students, teachers, and administrators to learn about the school and the courses they offer. I also got the chance to hear firsthand from students about their experiences with career and technical education and how they think it will help them in the future. The overall impression I got from them... Read more »

House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) and Higher Education and Workforce Training Subcommittee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) issued the following statements after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report documenting the need to improve data reporting and outcomes within the federal workforce development system. “We need comprehensive job train... Read more »

House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) issued the following statement after President Obama signed an executive order affecting federal contractor employees: The president’s failed policies are crushing working families with high unemployment, rising health care costs, and stagnant wages. We need commonsense solutions that will create jobs and raise the wages of all... Read more »

House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) and Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Chairman Phil Roe (R-TN) released the following statements after a new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report revealed the president’s health care law could lead to a loss of 2.5 million full-time jobs by 2024: “Last year Secretary Sebelius dismissed concerns about j... Read more »

President Obama last week asked Joe Biden to lead "an across-the-board reform" of federal job training that roots out ineffective and redundant programs. It's nice to hear the President admit that some government programs are wasteful, and if he's serious the spadework has already been done. Job-training programs originated during the New Deal, expanded under the Great Society and have continued ... Read more »