Today more than ever, federal policy must support investments in the skills of the American workforce. Lawmakers face an exceptionally challenging fiscal climate, but reducing federal investments in workforce education and training will have an immediate impact on businesses’ ability to find qualified workers and for unemployed workers to retrain for available jobs. It will do lasting damage to our nation’s competitiveness in the 21st-century economy.

To stay ahead in the global marketplace, we need workers who can quickly adapt to new technologies and business processes, and can be active partners in driving innovation and improving service delivery. Despite record unemployment, employers increasingly struggle to find workers with the skills and credentials to fill even current job openings, and to plan for future growth due to uncertainty about federal investments in training.

For more detailed materials and analysis related to the FY 2014 and previous federal budgets, click here.

Click on the tabs below to explore historical federal funding for key job training and workforce education programs. Learn how the nation’s current investments can better align with labor market demands and the needs of America’s workforce. 2014 budget information to be added soon.