House Committee Hearing Focuses on Strengthening the Workforce System

by Mitch Coppes, Government Relations Senior Specialist, Goodwill Industries International

The House Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee of the Education and the Workforce Committee recently held a hearing on strengthening the workforce system and improving outcomes for job seekers, employers, and taxpayers through the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Subcommittee Chairman Burgess Owens (R-UT) noted his priorities for WIOA reauthorization, which include cutting back inefficiencies in the workforce system, reforming the accountability mechanisms, and encouraging innovation. “I see a number of bipartisan, commonsense changes that this Committee can make to WIOA this Congress to bring these dislocated workers back into the fold,” said Owens. “For any and every reform, this Committee’s north star should be maximizing outcomes for jobseekers and employers.”

Expert witnesses testified before the committee on a range of topics related to WIOA reauthorization and shared best practices and strategies for advancing the workforce system. Rick Beasley, Executive Director of South Florida Workforce Investment Board, talked about the importance of supportive services, including assistance with transportation, childcare, and housing, to address economic barriers for job seekers and career advancers. He also noted efforts underway in his region to develop pre-apprenticeships for youth in construction fields and expand digital access and training in technology occupations to underserved populations.

Members of the subcommittee expressed interest in revising the process for recognizing eligible workforce training providers and refining WIOA performance measures. “The Committee should look into potential reforms to the accountability mechanisms enshrined in WIOA,” said Chairman Owens. “The inability to attain performance data is one issue, but, even when the data is available, the workforce system fails to enforce accountability measures.”

Democrats on the subcommittee also raised concerns about funding for WIOA, as well as employment outcomes and access to services for populations facing barriers to opportunity, including justice-involved individuals, youth, and veterans. “If we want to improve outcomes for job seekers, employers, and taxpayers, we must put serious money behind the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act while simultaneously holding training providers and workforce boards accountable,” said Ranking Member Frederica Wilson (D-FL). “Young people, workers forced out of their jobs, and justice-involved individuals are counting on us to work together to improve the workforce system and to meet the demand of the millions of new high-skill, high-wage jobs.”

We will continue to update Goodwill advocates on developments in workforce policy and WIOA reauthorization.