Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce Business Journal Q4 2014 | Page 13

The Best Jobs Creating Bill You’ve Never Heard Of
While travelling around Wyoming
this August, I heard a recurring
question from constituents,
“When is Congress going to do
something to help those without
a job get back on their feet?”.
Apparently good news doesn’t
deserve good press. A jobs
bill that I worked on for over a
decade passed the Senate 95 to
3. This is very bipartisan and a
very important bill that will help
fill the hundreds of thousands
of good jobs that are still open
across the country because of
a lack of folks with the skill set
needed to perform those jobs.

need to grow and expand their
businesses. The job training
programs that are included in
the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act are what will help
get our economy going again.
But it doesn’t just add programs.
The bill is designed to eliminate
15 programs identified as
ineffective or duplicative and
21 federal mandates on state
and local workforce boards.
It will also provide stronger
accountability for taxpayer
dollars by applying common
performance measures for
all programs with a focus on
employment outcomes and
employer satisfaction with trained
workers.

will be better able to meet
regional economic demands and
provide training for jobs where
quality workers are in short
supply. We can help people
get back to work by offering
training for the skills and services
needed in our communities.
State and local officials are in the
best position to determine the
labor and job training needs of
communities across the nation
and this law will allow them to
make these determinations.

It takes hard work and dedication
to pass a good bill, and you can’t
give up just because it’s difficult.
The Workforce Innovation and
Having a skilled workforce
Opportunity Act (WIOA) was
shouldn’t be a partisan issue.
signed into law by the president
This should be an area where we
at the end of July. It will transform
This law also gives authority
can always find common ground
the sometimes bureaucratic
back to state governments and
and work together to ensure our
federal job training system into
equips them with tools to help
workers have the skills they need
a streamlined program that
small businesses. It provides
to compete in the ever-changing
can help many more people by
governors and state workforce
global economy. This law
teaching them the skills
sends a clear message
needed to succeed.
that we are serious about
Through its job training
programs, WIOA will help “ The job training programs helping our American
workers and employers
improve our currently
that are included in the
remain competitive, and
stagnant economy and
that we are serious about
foster an economic
Workforce Innovation and
closing the skills gap that is
environment for private
Opportunity Act are what putting America’s long-term
sector job creation. If it
works as it should, then
will help get our economy competitiveness in jeopardy.
As our economy changes,
hundreds of thousands
going again.”
this law goes a long way to
of people will be able to
ensuring our workforce will
move into available jobs
be better prepared.
that are vacant because
folks don’t have the
right skills. Local businesses will
directors with what they told us
finally be able to find workers
they needed — flexibility to use
in their communities who have
money where it is most needed.
the particular skill sets they
With this reauthorization, states
Q4 2014 BUSINESS JOURNAL

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