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Issues
Working Wisconsin Workforce Investment
Job training and investment is crucial
to help workers during a volatile economy. When our workers
are well trained, they are among the most productive and innovative
in the world. My E4 Initiative includes important measures
to better train our workers for jobs in emerging industries.
Throughout my career, I have supported job training programs
with proven track records of success.
Workforce Investment Act
Far too often I hear from employers that
they cannot find the workers they need. We must invest in
additional job training and career development to help employees
develop skills and employers find more qualified employees.
The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) created federally supported
centers for job training and has helped meet the needs of
workers transitioning to new jobs and careers. I am pushing
Congress to improve WIA by providing more help and training
to workers who find themselves underemployed, unemployed,
or lacking desirable skills.
Job Corps
I am also focused on increasing support
for Job Corps, which provides vital career education and training
for young people in Wisconsin and across the country. Students
earn a high school diploma or GED and get assistance with
job placement for up to 12 months after completing the program.
It has demonstrated tremendous success, with more than 90
percent of graduates obtaining jobs, enlisting in the military,
or pursuing higher education.
Investing in a Health Care Workforce
As manufacturing jobs continue to
decline, we must look to create jobs in high-growth industries
that are less likely to be shipped overseas. Our booming health
care industry is one area where there is a tremendous opportunity
for new jobs. I introduced the Community-Based Health Care
Retraining Act to help displaced workers retrain for jobs
in the health care sector. In Wisconsin alone, there will
be an additional 61,910 health care positions by 2014, a 27
percent increase. This proposal will simultaneously help communities
ensure high-quality health care during rising demand and increase
economic opportunities for displaced workers.
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