[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 346 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 346
Designating September 2021 as ``National Workforce Development Month''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
August 9, 2021
Mrs. Feinstein (for herself, Mr. Young, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Scott of South
Carolina, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Braun, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Wicker, Ms.
Klobuchar, Mrs. Capito, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Cramer, Ms. Hirono, Mrs.
Hyde-Smith, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Daines, Ms. Smith, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr.
Murphy, Ms. Rosen, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Peters, Mr. Durbin,
and Ms. Ernst) submitted the following resolution; which was considered
and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Designating September 2021 as ``National Workforce Development Month''.
Whereas investment in the education, training, and career advancement of the
workforce in the United States, known as ``workforce development'', is
crucial to the ability of the United States to compete in the global
economy;
Whereas collaboration among Governors, local governments, State and local
education, workforce, and human services agencies, community colleges,
local businesses, employment service providers, community-based
organizations, and workforce development boards provides for long-term,
sustainable, and successful workforce development across traditional
sectors and emerging industries;
Whereas jobs that require more than a high school diploma but not a 4-year
degree comprise 52 percent of the labor market, but only 42 percent of
workers in the United States have been able to access training at that
level, creating a discrepancy that may limit growth in changing
industries such as health care, manufacturing, and information
technology;
Whereas 76 percent of business leaders say greater investment in skills training
would help their businesses;
Whereas, as of summer 2021 in the United States--
(1) nearly 10,000,000 individuals are unemployed;
(2) unemployment rates for Black and Hispanic adults are well above the
unemployment rates for White adults;
(3) workers without a bachelor's degree are nearly 2 times more likely
to be unemployed;
(4) more than \1/2\ of the jobs lost due to the Coronavirus Disease
2019 (COVID-19) pandemic were by workers earning less than $40,000 per
year; and
(5) according to a recent poll, nearly \1/2\ of workers said they will
need to learn new skills in the next year to do their jobs, while more than
\1/2\ said they would retrain for a career in a different field or industry
if they had the opportunity;
Whereas, as of June 2021, employment rates among workers with lower levels of
educational attainment remained far below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels,
including 7.2 percent below those levels for workers with a high school
diploma and 10.1 percent below those levels for workers without a high
school diploma, even as workers with higher levels of educational
attainment have nearly returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic employment
levels;
Whereas, in 2014, Congress reauthorized the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) with overwhelming bipartisan support in
recognition of the need to strengthen the focus of the United States on
the skills necessary to fill jobs in local and regional industries;
Whereas the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.)
supports employment, training, and support services for individuals with
barriers to employment, including--
(1) individuals who earn low incomes;
(2) individuals who are out of work, including the long-term
unemployed;
(3) individuals displaced by outsourcing;
(4) individuals living in rural areas or areas with persistently high
unemployment;
(5) individuals looking to learn new skills; and
(6) individuals with disabilities;
Whereas the more than 550 workforce development boards and 2,400 American Job
Centers are a driving force behind growing regional economies by
providing training, resources, and assistance to workers who aim to
compete in the 21st century economy;
Whereas ongoing State and local implementation of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) provides unprecedented
opportunities to develop the skills of workers in the United States
through access to effective, quality workforce education and training,
including the development and delivery of proven strategies such as
sector partnerships, career pathways, integrated education and training,
work-based learning models, and paid internships;
Whereas, in 2019, programs authorized under the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.)--
(1) served nearly 6,300,000 young people and adults; and
(2) exceeded employment targets across all programs;
Whereas State programs established under the Wagner-Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. 49 et
seq.)--
(1) ensured that more than 3,400,000 workers, including more than
212,000 veterans, had access to career services through American Job
Centers in 2019; and
(2) are a foundational part of the workforce development system;
Whereas workforce development programs will play a critical role in addressing
the 500,000 additional jobs that remain open in manufacturing industries
compared to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels;
Whereas community colleges and other workforce development training providers
across the United States are well situated--
(1) to train the next generation of workers in the United States; and
(2) to address the educational challenges created by emerging
industries and technological advancements;
Whereas participation in a career and technical education (referred to in this
preamble as ``CTE'') program decreases the risk of students dropping out
of high school, and all 50 States and the District of Columbia report
higher graduation rates for CTE students, as compared to other students;
Whereas community and technical colleges operate as open access institutions
serving millions of students annually at a comparatively low cost;
Whereas the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century
Act (Public Law 115-224; 132 Stat. 1563) supports the development and
implementation of high-quality CTE programs that--
(1) combine rigorous academic content with occupational skills; and
(2) served approximately 12,500,000 high school and college students
between 2018 and 2019;
Whereas there are more than 600,000 registered apprentices in the United States,
and there is growing and bipartisan support for expanding quality earn-
and-learn strategies to help current and future workers gain skills and
work experience;
Whereas the federally supported workforce system and partner programs--
(1) have helped rebuild the economy of the United States and provide
increased economic opportunities; and
(2) provide a pathway into 21st century jobs that support families
while ensuring that businesses in the United States find the skilled
workforce needed to compete in the global economy; and
Whereas workforce development is crucial to sustaining economic security for
workers in the United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates September 2021 as ``National Workforce
Development Month'';
(2) supports Federal initiatives to promote workforce
development; and
(3) acknowledges that workforce development plays a crucial
role in supporting workers and growing the economy.
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