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[Pages S2927-S2928]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. KAINE (for himself and Mr. Portman):
S. 1517. A bill to require the Secretary of Labor to award grants for
promoting industry or sector partnerships to encourage industry growth
and competitiveness and to improve worker training, retention, and
advancement
[[Page S2928]]
as part of an infrastructure investment; to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. KAINE. Mr. President. the U.S. infrastructure system is in
critical need of an upgrade. The American Society of Civil Engineers
recently graded the U.S. system a D+ given its capacity, condition,
funding, future need, operation and maintenance, public safety,
resilience and innovation. Any investment to improve our country's
infrastructure system would create millions of new jobs, requiring
millions of skilled workers to fill them.
A recent study by the Center of Education and the Workforce at
Georgetown University estimated that a $1 trillion infrastructure
investment would create 11 million new jobs. Nearly half of these would
require training past the high school level. Even without a significant
investment, though, infrastructure industries are already struggling to
meet workforce demands. Workers in infrastructure industries are
expected to retire at a 50% higher rate than the general workforce. To
ensure infrastructure investments benefit businesses, workers and the
economy, the U.S. must invest in the creation of a diverse pipeline of
workers with skills necessary to access in-demand opportunities.
Industry and sector partnerships are a proven strategy for helping
workers prepare for middle-skill jobs and helping businesses find
skilled workers. Congress requires States and local areas to support
the development of these partnerships under the Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act (WIOA), but no dedicated funding has been provided
for these activities. According to a recent national poll, 77% of
business leaders say it would help their business to create closer
links between education providers and businesses to train people for
the jobs for which businesses are hiring.
For workers, especially those underrepresented in infrastructure
industries, support services like career counseling, child care, and
transportation can often be the key to succeed in work-based learning
programs. Providing these services may be outside the capacity of a
business. Industry partnerships bring business together with community
and human service organizations that can make these connections for
workers and drastically improve their ability to succeed in training
and meet business demand for skilled workers.
This is why I am pleased to introduce with my colleague, Senator
Portman, the Building U.S. Infrastructure by Leveraging Demands for
Skills Act or BUILDS Act. The BUILDS Act creates a grant program that
would support industry and sector partnerships working with local
businesses, industry associations and organizations, labor
organizations, State and local workforce boards, economic development
agencies and other partners engaged in their communities to encourage
industry growth, competitiveness and collaboration to improve worker
training, retention and advancement in targeted infrastructure
clusters. Additionally, businesses and education providers would be
connected to develop classroom curriculum to complement on-the-job
learning and workers would receive support services such as mentoring
and career counseling to ensure that they are successful from the pre-
employment to placement in a full-time position.
Our Nation desperately needs improvements to critical infrastructure
like our roads and bridges, however to do that work we must have a
trained workforce that's ready to fill these good-paying jobs. Virginia
businesses in the transportation, maritime, and information technology
industries continue to tell me they have trouble finding job applicants
with the necessary skills. This bill will help workers get the job
training they need to be hired. I hope that my colleagues on both sides
of the aisle consider the BUILDS Act as a necessary component to any
investment in our Nation's infrastructure.
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