113 HR 497 IH: America Works Act
U.S. House of Representatives
2013-02-05
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.This Act may be cited as the
America Works
Act
.
2.Congress finds the following:
(1)Recent data show
that United States manufacturing companies cannot fill as many as 600,000
skilled positions, even as unemployment numbers hover at historically high
levels.
(2)The unfilled
positions are mainly in the skilled production category, and in occupations
such as machinist, operator, craft worker, distributor, or technician.
(3)In less than 20
years, an overall loss of expertise and management skill is expected to result
from the gradual departure from the workplace of 77,200,000 workers.
(4)Postsecondary
success and workforce readiness can be achieved through attainment of a
recognized postsecondary credential.
(5)The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational
Outlook estimates that 746,500 new jobs in computer-related occupations will be
generated from 2010 to 2020. This would equate to a 23 percent net growth in
computer-related occupations.
(6)Computer-related
occupations with the highest projected growth rates include database
administrators, software developers, and network and computer systems
administrators.
(7)As of June 2012,
there were approximately 301,214 job openings in the information technology
sector.
(8)According to a
recent report, 64 percent of managers hiring for information technology jobs
rate certifications as having extremely high or high value in validating
information technology skills and expertise, and that value is rated highest by
senior managers, such as chief information officers, and by medium-size
firms.
3.Industry-recognized
and nationally portable credentials for job training programs
(a)Workforce
Investment Act of 1998
(1)Section
129(c)(1)(C) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2854(c)(1)(C))
is amended—
(A)by redesignating clauses (ii) through (iv)
as clauses (iii) through (v), respectively; and
(B)inserting after clause (i) the
following:
(ii)training (which may include priority
consideration for training programs that lead to recognized postsecondary
credentials (as defined in section 4 of the America Works Act) that are aligned
with in-demand occupations or industries in the local area involved, if the
local board determines that the programs meet the quality criteria described in
section
123);
.
(2)General
employment and training activitiesSection 134(d)(4)(F) of the
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2864(d)(4)(F)) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
(iv)Programs that
lead to an industry-recognized and nationally portable credentialIn assisting individuals in selecting
programs of training services under this section, a one-stop operator and
employees of a one-stop center referred to in subsection (c) may give priority
consideration to programs (approved in conjunction with eligibility decisions
made under section 122) that lead to recognized postsecondary credentials (as
defined in section 4 of the America Works Act) that are aligned with in-demand
occupations or industries in the local area
involved.
.
(3)
(A)General
employment and training activitiesSection 122(b)(2)(D) of the
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2842(b)(2)(D)) is amended—
(i)in
clause (ii), by striking and
at the end;
(ii)in
clause (iii), by striking the period and inserting ; and
;
and
(iii)by
adding at the end the following:
(iv)in the case of a provider of a program of
training services that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential (as
defined in section 4 of the America Works Act), that the program leading to the
credential meets such quality criteria as the Governor shall
establish.
.
(B)Section 123 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998
(29 U.S.C. 2843) by inserting (including such quality criteria as the
Governor shall establish for a training program that leads to a recognized
postsecondary credential (as defined in section 4 of the America Works
Act))
after plan
.
(b)Career and
technical education
(1)Section 122(c)(1)(B) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2342(c)(1)(B)) is amended—
(A)by striking
(B) how
and inserting (B)(i) how
;
(B)by inserting
and
after the semicolon; and
(C)by adding at the
end the following
(ii)in the case of an eligible entity
that, in developing and implementing programs of study leading to recognized
postsecondary credentials, desires to give a priority to such programs that are
aligned with in-demand occupations or industries in the area served (as
determined by the eligible agency) and that may provide a basis for additional
credentials, certificates, or degree, how the entity will do
so;
.
(2)Section 134(b) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical
Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2354(b)) is amended—
(A)in paragraph (11),
by striking ; and
and inserting a semicolon;
(B)in paragraph
(12)(B), by striking the period and inserting ; and
; and
(C)by adding at the
end the following:
(13)describe the career and technical education
activities supporting the attainment of recognized postsecondary credentials
(as defined in section 4 of the America Works Act), and, in the case of an
eligible recipient that desires to provide priority consideration to certain
programs of study in accordance with the State plan under section 122(c)(1)(B),
how the eligible recipient will give priority consideration to such
activities.
.
(3)Section 203(c)(2)(E) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2373(c)(2)(E)) is amended by
striking industry-recognized credential, a certificate,
and
inserting recognized postsecondary credential (as defined in section 4
of the America Works Act and approved by the eligible agency),
.
(c)Training
programs under TAASection 236(a) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19
U.S.C. 2296(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(12)In approving training programs for
adversely affected workers and adversely affected incumbent workers under
paragraph (1), the Secretary may give priority consideration to workers seeking
training through programs that are approved in conjunction with eligibility
decisions made under section 122 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29
U.S.C. 2842), and that lead to recognized postsecondary credentials (as defined
in section 4 of the America Works Act) that are aligned with in-demand
occupations or industries in the local area (defined for purposes of title I of
the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.))
involved.
.
4.In this Act:
(1)The
term industry-recognized, used with respect to a credential, means
a credential that—
(A)is sought or
accepted by employers within the industry sector involved as recognized,
preferred, or required for recruitment, screening, hiring, or
advancement;
(B)is endorsed by a
recognized trade or professional association or organization, representing a
significant part of the industry sector; and
(C)is a nationally
portable credential, meaning a credential that is sought or accepted, across
multiple States, as described in subparagraph (A).
(2)Recognized
postsecondary credentialThe term recognized postsecondary
credential means a credential consisting of an industry-recognized
credential for postsecondary training, a certificate that meets the
requirements of subparagraphs (A) and (C) of paragraph (1) for postsecondary
training, a certificate of completion of a postsecondary apprenticeship through
a program described in section 122(a)(2)(B) of the Workforce Investment Act of
1998 (29 U.S.C. 2842(a)(2)(B)), or an associate degree or baccalaureate degree
awarded by an institution of higher education (as defined in section 102(a) of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(a))).
5.Nothing in this
Act shall be construed to require an entity with responsibility for selecting
or approving an education, training, or workforce investment activities program
with regard to a covered provision, to select a program with a recognized
postsecondary credential or certificate as defined by this Act.
6.This Act, and the
amendments made by this Act, take effect 120 days after the date of enactment
of this Act.