Courtney Helps Introduce Legislation to Invest $15 Billion in Workforce Training Needed to Relaunch the Economy

NORWICH, CT – In response to rising rates of unemployment, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) joined House Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) on Friday in introducing new legislation that would invest $15 billion in America's workforce training infrastructure, as well as in career and technical education programs. The Relaunching America's Workforce Act would authorize new funding to help workers learn and sharpen their skills, and to quickly re-enter the workforce as the economy emerges from the deepest decline since the Great Depression.

Rep. Courtney is an original co-sponsor of the Relaunching America's Workforce Act. The bill is bicameral, and is being led in the Senate by Senators Tim Kaine (VA), Tammy Baldwin (WI) and Tina Smith (MN).

"Eastern Connecticut is familiar with real, tangible success when it comes to workforce development – the Eastern Connecticut Manufacturing pipeline is an award-winning effort that's been paying dividends well before the COVID-19 pandemic occurred," said Congressman Courtney. "With millions of newly unemployed people now looking for work in our region and across the entire country, American workers and our entire workforce development system are up against unprecedented challenges. The Relaunching America's Workforce Act will provide urgently needed resources that will fill the rapidly growing demand for employment and training services to help Americans gain and sharpen skills, find new jobs, and get back on their feet. We are up against a tidal wave of unemployment right now, and it's more important than ever before to make bold investments in our federal job training programs."

"Congressman Courtney and his colleagues on the House Education and Labor Committee have taken a tremendous step toward ensuring a rapid and robust economic recovery for the nation by making a significant investment in our nation's greatest asset - our skilled workforce," said John Beauregard, President and CEO of the Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board (EWIB). "Here in eastern Connecticut, we are especially thankful for the leadership of hundreds of employers who have joined our training program design process to ensure alignment with their upcoming job openings. This ‘demand-driven' approach has eliminated the ‘train and pray' approach from years past, and has allowed us to experience tremendous success as a region – most recently with eastern Connecticut being nationally recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Partnership, an accomplishment that belongs to a strong public-private partnership here in the 2nd District."

The Relaunching America's Workforce Act:

• Provides over $10 billion to the state and local public workforce system by supporting dislocated workers, employers, youth and adults seeking jobs. These funds will support workforce training activities, including career navigation services, access to online skills training and employment services, while prioritizing short-term training to health care and essential frontline workers;
• Invests $1 billion in expanding the capacity of adult education providers across the U.S. to prioritize serving adults with low-literacy levels negatively impacted by the economic consequences of the COVID-19 national emergency;
• Invests $1 billion in career and technical education to prepare students for careers in high-skill, high-wage or in-demand industry sectors and occupations; and
• Invests $2 billion to restart the community college career training grant program initiated during the last recession to help employers find talent in their local area, and provide individuals pathways to high-skill, high-wage and in-demand employment opportunities.

The Relaunching America's Workforce Act is endorsed by National Association of Workforce Boards, Jobs for the Future, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Advance CTE, Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs, National Association of Counties, National League of Cities, National Job Corps Association, National Network for Youth, Coalition on Adult Basic Education, and United States Conference of Mayors.

For a section-by-section of the Relaunching America's Workforce Act, click here.

For the bill text of the Relaunching America's Workforce Act, click here.