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WASHINGTON AND GREEN BAY - Technology came into play Thursday as Rep. Tom Petri participated in a video conference with members of the Bay Area Workforce Development Board to discuss job training initiatives.
Petri was in Washington while the board members braved the snow to gather at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay. (Audio: Rep. Petri's Comments Before Board)
Board Executive Director James Golembeski began the discussion by noting that many things have changed over the 10 years since the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) was passed by Congress to help potential employees gain skills needed for good paying jobs. An updated version of the WIA is five years overdue, he noted, adding that both the House and the Senate approved their own versions of reforms during the last Congress but failed to reach agreement on a final bill.
Petri, a senior Republican on the Education and Labor Committee, said that unfortunately the current congressional leadership seemed not to have any immediate plans to try again, but that improved training opportunities are necessary to keep America and Wisconsin competitive. When considering job training reforms, Petri said, "We want to be sure that there is enough flexibility in the federal program to fill needs that are actually identified in different communities rather than some scheme that somebody in Washington has and then tries to apply it all across the country, because needs are clearly going to vary from job market to job market."
Petri said that flexibility in federal job training efforts should include the ability to anticipate needs if a company is planning an expansion or if a new company is thinking of locating in an area. "Part of the package can be worker retraining," he said.
Golembeski and others urged emphasis on training already-employed workers so they can adapt to new technology and move up in their businesses, making room for others closer to the entry level. Petri agreed.
"It is important to have clear, far-sighted national policy in many areas, especially workforce development. Here we have a direct link from business in northeast Wisconsin to our policymakers in Washington using video technology," Golembeski said after the meeting. "Rep. Petri is very important to us because of the committees he sits on and his active involvement in worker training."
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