Committee Statements

Last month, we lost nearly 600,000 jobs.  The number of unemployed workers grows with each day, and the need to help them find new jobs has never been greater.  It has been more than a decade since federal job training initiatives have been updated.  With a changing economy and growing unemployment rate, the time to renew this legislation is now.

We must be committed to a dynamic, results-oriented job training system that can effectively serve those looking for a job and those workers in need of retraining.  The one-stop shops under the Workforce Investment Act are the best resource to provide this type of job training system. 

I am reminded of a story from a local official in my district that stresses the importance of these one-stop shops.  In 2006, Dave Hourigan, the Marion County Judge/Executive or the county’s chief executive officer, in my home state of Kentucky saw the need to create a one-stop shop in his county.  He understood the importance of consolidating services and developing a central place where people could go to access job placement information, education and training, and other assistance.  So, the Judge decided to make this a reality for Marion County.  He worked with business and community leaders to find donated space to open the center.  Then, he worked to connect the center to local businesses and industries so that it could be more effective.  Because of Judge Hourigan’s commitment, Marion Countians now have a responsive, centralized system in their backyard to provide valuable resources for both employees and employers.

It is this type of commitment that we need in order to make sure our workforce remains competitive.  It is critical that we continue using this one-stop shop model to develop a workforce that meets our economy’s changing needs.  While these centers are working well, providing Americans with better jobs and better lives, and in turn, providing America with a stronger workforce, there is still work to be done.

In our hearing two weeks ago, witnesses testified about concerns over the size of local workforce boards and urged us to maintain the business majority on those boards.  It is clear that we must continue to keep local workforce investment boards, including representatives from the business community, at the center of our workforce development system.  Local businesses will create the new jobs that one-stop centers will help fill, which is what makes this system an essential component of our country’s economic growth.  As a former small businessman, I, like Judge Hourigan, recognize the need for a collaborative effort that includes businesses working with the local one-stop shop to provide the best services for the workers who need them.

I look forward to today’s testimony and learning more about the best practices and innovative ideas from around the country as we work to reauthorize this important legislation.

 

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