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 through the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
READ MORE from House Committee Revisits Workforce Training Reauthorization
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted to advance the nomination of Lori Chavez-DeRemer to be the next Secretary of Labor. The former U.S. Representative from Oregon received bipartisan support in the committee and her nomination will now be considered by the full Senate.
Preparing youth and adult learners for good-paying jobs in in-demand industries requires continued education and training beyond high school. But for many students, the lack of affordable options in traditional higher education has created challenges to enrollment and completion of the education and credentialing opportunities they need to achieve college and career success.
The executive branch continues to issue numerous orders and memos with the goals of reducing the size of government, identifying waste, fraud and abuse, and eliminating initiatives related to diversity, equity, inclusion and environmental justice. Some members of the legislative branch are pushing back on these measures via introducing legislation, submitting formal inquiries, and using procedural levers to slow confirmations; while other members of Congress are proposing legislation that align with the President’s agenda. With such close margins in the House and Senate, few bills are likely to pass both chambers.
Many nonprofits including Goodwill spent the week analyzing the scope of President Trump’s executive orders, assessing the impact of the temporary freeze in federal funding, looking at ways in which federally funded programs align with the new administration’s priorities, and monitoring court cases while still executing on our mission and serving our communities.
President Trump wasted no time settling back into the oval office, issuing more than 40 executive orders (EOs) in his first week of his second administration. During his first term, Trump signed 14 executive orders and memoranda over his first week. The broad range of issues covered by the actions of interest to Goodwill and the people we serve include diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs; government grants and contracts; civic engagement; and immigration. Some EOs may not take effect immediately and some face legal challenges.
The 119th Congress welcomes 65 freshman members of the House of Representatives and 12 new Senators. In some of the key congressional committees that oversee federal workforce and employment policies, these freshman lawmakers have joined their ranks as veteran members have taken on new roles.
READ MORE from Meet the New Faces and New Leaders Tackling Workforce Policy in Congress
The 119th Congress gaveled into session on January 3 as lawmakers returned to Washington with a long list of unfinished legislative business and new policy priorities to tackle in the coming months. Congress narrowly averted a government shutdown in late December by passing a stopgap continuing resolution to fund the government through March 14.
READ MORE from 119th Congress Begins with New Priorities and Unfinished Business
After being unable to pass separate Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) appropriations bills, an initial bill referred to as a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government was agreed to earlier this week by bipartisan leaders of the House and Senate.
READ MORE from Government Funding Negotiations Continue with Shutdown Imminent
Did you know that individuals who complete a Registered Apprenticeship program earn an average of $300,000 more over their careers than those who do not complete an apprenticeship, or that the median return on investment in Registered Apprenticeship for employers is 44.3 percent? For millions of Americans, participation in an apprenticeship program offers a pathway to a rewarding career with good wages.
READ MORE from National Apprenticeship Week Celebrates Tenth Anniversary
Some election results are still being tabulated and there are many unknowns concerning what the outcomes at the federal, state, and local levels will mean for the interests of Goodwill®, the charitable sector, and those we serve. What we do know is that there are several opportunities to raise awareness of Goodwill’s mission, build new relationships and strengthen current ones, and increase our public policy influence.
We have reached the home stretch in the 2024 general election. On Tuesday, November 5th, voters will elect the 47th president of the United States. In addition to the presidential race, there are elections for 34 U.S. Senate seats, 435 U.S. House of Representatives seats, state legislative races across 44 states, and 11 races for governor, alongside scores of municipal races and ballot initiatives.
