Jobs for Main Street Act of 2009.

National Skills Coalition responds to President’s jobs creation proposal, House votes on jobs bill

The House of Representatives is expected to vote today on the Jobs for Main Street Act of 2009, a $150 billion jobs bill that will include significant new investments in infrastructure, fiscal relief to preserve education, law enforcement, and other public jobs, and a six-month extension of unemployment benefits and COBRA health insurance subsidies provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (PL 111-5) currently set to expire at the end of this month. Like the Recovery Act, the bill largely focuses on increasing investments in existing programs, providing $1.25 billion in new training funds under the Department of Labor:

• $500 million in additional WIA Youth formula grant funding, which is to be used for summer youth employment programs; and
• $750 million for competitive grants for training and placement of workers in high-growth and emerging sectors. Of that total, $275 million must be for careers in energy efficiency and renewable energy as described in the Green Jobs Act, and of that $275 million, $225 million must be for Pathways out of Poverty grants. Priority for the remaining $475 million must be given to projects in the health care sector.

Additionally, the bill includes:

• $200 million for AmeriCorps programs and the National Service Trust, to support an additional 25,000 AmeriCorps Members; and
• $300 million in additional funding for the College Work Study program. 

While the inclusion of these funds in the House bill is an encouraging sign that policymakers understand the importance of including job training in any jobs bill, it should be stressed that there is still work to be done. The Senate will not take up a jobs bill this year, but will instead wait until after the New Year to tackle the issue.  Rather than consider the six-month UI/COBRA extension included in the House bill the Senate will likely approve only a two-month extension instead – making it clear that any additional spending to support America’s hard-hit workforce will face an uphill battle in that chamber. Importantly, the workforce development field should continue to weigh in with lawmakers in both chambers to ensure that job training remains a part of this or any other  federal job creation legislation.

To learn more about the bill, click here.