WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 803, “Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills Act” with a vote of 215-202. Congresswoman Jenkins released the following statement after the vote:
 
“Each year taxpayers invest billions in the nation’s workforce development system, and yet, employers continue to struggle to find workers with the skills they need. Today, the House took the lead on tackling this nation’s unemployment problem by passing a bill to reform the maze of confusing job-training programs, and create a better system for workers to find the help they need.  

“With 20 million Americans unemployed or under-employed, and 3.6 million job openings still unfilled, this nation’s complex and inefficient job-training system is failing both job seekers and employers. The SKILLS Act is exactly what the president said he wanted to do at his State of the Union address, and we cannot afford to wait any longer to close the skills gap. This bill will do exactly that.

“The SKILLS Act streamlines and eliminates 35 ineffective and duplicative programs. It would create a flexible Workforce Investment Fund to support workers, employers, and job seekers; eliminate arbitrary roadblocks within existing workforce education programs; prioritize well-paying, in-demand industries; expand opportunities at community colleges, and most importantly, treat all job seekers as individuals.”
 

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