Congressman John Carney (D-DE) earlier this week introduced a legislative package that includes bills to encourage skills development and improve resources available to job-seekers and employers.

The bills included within the package are:

·         The Skills Connection Act:

o   Connects skilled workers with employers by directing the Department of Labor to create a comprehensive registry of skills and credentials along with a national manufacturing job bank.

·         The Education and Workforce Training Innovation Act:

o   Incentivizes private companies to collaborate with colleges to improve curricula for providing workforce-ready job skills and training.

o   Spurs private sector investment to create more apprenticeships and trade certifications for careers in manufacturing, industrial trades, and skilled labor.

·         The Skills First Act:

o   Allows Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) beneficiaries to pursue a GED or vocational degree in order to help qualify them for a job. 

o   Expands the amount of education hours TANF beneficiaries can apply to their work requirement

“People across the country are still looking for work. As the economy continues to recover, we need to make sure they have the skills and the resources they need to get good paying jobs” said CongressmanCarney. “This legislation addresses the skills gap by incentivizing private sector investment, growing workforce training programs, and encouraging people to go back to school. The package also addresses the lack of resources available to help both job-seekers and employers, so we can connect the right workers to the right positions and allow them to apply the skills they already have. Through this package of bills we address both sides of the skills gap -- helping people develop their skills and helping employers hire a skilled workforce.”

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