RSS Feed Archive - Page 2.

Major new workforce initiative announced.
June 30, 2011
This morning , at CGI America, a meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), National Skills Coalition, Skills for America’s Future, National Fund for Workforce Solutions, and Corporate Voices for Working Families announced the creation of Business Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships, an initiative to bring diverse business leaders together to help shape a national skills strategy that can address structural skill shortages that are putting the brakes on economic recovery and job creation.

National groups urge WIA reauthorization.
June 28, 2011
Today, National Skills Coalition joined with more than forty other national organizations in sending a letter to leaders of the Senate HELP committee, commending the committee for its bipartisan efforts to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), and supporting continued efforts to advance the bill through the committee markup process. 

Senate WIA markup postponed.
June 28, 2011
The Senate HELP committee has postponed the scheduled June 29 markup of the proposed Workforce Investment Act (WIA) reauthorization bill. The markup has been tentatively rescheduled for July 13. 

TAA reauthorization deal reached.
June 28, 2011
The White House and congressional leaders have reportedly reached a deal to reauthorize the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program through December 2013 as part of a larger compromise to advance pending free trade agreements.

National groups urge WIA reauthorization.
June 28, 2011
Today, National Skills Coalition joined with more than forty other national organizations in sending a letter to leaders of the Senate HELP committee, commending the committee for its bipartisan efforts to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), and supporting continued efforts to advance the bill through the committee markup process. 

NSC submits comments on WIA draft bill.
June 20, 2011
On June 17, National Skill Coalition submitted a letter to the Senate HELP Committee summarizing the Coalition’s comments on the staff discussion draft of the proposed Workforce Investment Act (WIA) reauthorization bill.

WIA Title V reauthorization draft released.
June 16, 2011
On June 16, a discussion draft of Title V (Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act) of the proposed Workforce Investment Act reauthorization bill was released by the Senate HELP Committee.

NSC releases WIA Title III and IV analyses.
June 15, 2011
NSC has released initial analyses of the staff discussion drafts of Titles III and IV of the proposed Workforce Investment Act reauthorization bill released by the Senate HELP Committee. 

Over 30 senators sign on in support of workforce.
June 13, 2011
More than 30 Senators signed on to the "Dear Colleague" letter circulated last week by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) urging the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee to support workforce funding. 

NSC releases WIA Title I and II analyses.
June 13, 2011
NSC has completed initial analyses of the staff discussion drafts of Titles I and II of the proposed Workforce Investment Act reauthorization bill released last week by the Senate HELP Committee.

WIA Title II reauthorization draft released.
June 10, 2011
On June 10, a discussion draft of Title II the proposed Workforce Investment Act reauthorization bill was released by the Senate HELP Committee.

WIA Title I reauthorization draft released.
June 9, 2011
On June 9, the Senate HELP Committee released a staff discussion draft of Title I of the proposed Workforce Investment Act reauthorization bill. This is the product of a two year bipartisan effort to renew and improve the nation’s primary workforce system. 

Final "gainful employment" rule released.
June 3, 2011
On June 2, the U.S. Department of Education released a set of final rules designed to measure the success of occupational training and other postsecondary programs in preparing students for “gainful employment.” 

Murray hints at WIA reauthorization.
May 26, 2011
According to an article in today's National Journal, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), chair of the HELP Committee’s Employment and Workplace Safety subcommittee, will introduce a long-awaited WIA reauthorization bill in the “coming weeks.” 

Agencies announce regional cluster grants.
May 23, 2011
A set of federal agencies have just announced the “Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge,” which will provide approximately $33 million in grants and other assistance to support economic and workforce development activities tied to “regional innovation clusters” (RICs). 

House urged to restore workforce funding.
May 20, 2011
This week, National Skills Coalition and more than fifty other national organizations sent a joint letter to key House members urging them to prioritize funding for employment and training programs in Fiscal Year 2012. 

House subcommittee holds workforce hearing.
May 13, 2011
On May 11, the House Education and the Workforce Committee’s Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training hosted a hearing on potential duplication in federal job training programs, marking the fourth time a House committee or subcommittee has hosted a hearing on this topic in the last six weeks.

House Approps releases FY'12 allocations.
May 12, 2011
On May 11, the House Appropriations Committee released  their proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 “302(b) allocations,” which set the overall spending levels for each of the twelve FY 2012 appropriations bills, including the bill providing funding for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (commonly referred to as the “Labor-H” bill). Labor-H programs are slated to lose more than $18 billion compared to FY 2011 levels. 

DOL releases PY 2011 WIA, ES allotments.
May 11, 2011
On May 10, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) announced Program Year (PY) 2011 state allotments for the WIA Title I Adult, Youth, and Dislocated Worker programs; the Employment Service program under Wagner-Peyser Act; and Workforce Information Grants.

"Make it in America" agenda includes SECTORS.
May 4, 2011
NSC applauds the inclusion of the SECTORS Act in the "Make it in America" agenda—a set of bills being advanced by Congressional leaders that focus on revitalizing American manufacturing and rebuilding the nation’s middle class.

DOL announces H-1B grants.
May 2, 2011
The Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) just announced the availability of $240 million in competitive H-1B Technical Skills Training grants, which will support training and related activities in key high-growth industries and occupations.

S2C-IN drives middle-skills resolution.
April 27, 2011
Skills2Compete-Indiana helped successfully advance Senate Resolution 85 calling on Indiana's State WIB, Division of Adult Education, and Office of Career and Technical Education to assess industry-recognized standards for middle-skill industry clusters.

Summary of FY12 budget workforce proposals.
April 20, 2011
The House FY 2012 budget resolution includes series of recommendations and assumptions relating to job training and education assistance programs that promise to significantly reduce access to these critical services for a broad range of U.S. jobseekers and students. Read National Skills Coalition’s summary of key workforce–related recommendations in the budget resolution.

FY11 CR passes; FY12 budget advances.
April 15, 2011
Congress just approved the FY 2011 continuing resolution (CR), which funds the federal government through the end of September. With the FY 2011 appropriations process now complete, Congress immediately turns its attentions to FY 2012, which promises to be far more contentious politically – and potentially far more dangerous for workforce development programs.

FY11 CR impact on workforce programs.
April 14, 2011
The FY 2011 CR Congress will vote on this week cuts more than $1 billion in workforce development funding across a number of programs, including formula grants under WIA Title I and several competitive grant programs at DOL. We've summarized some of the more confusing changes in the bill, and what they mean for the field. 

Most deep cuts averted in FY 2011 budget.
April 12, 2011
On April 11, details were released on the final Fiscal Year 2011 continuing resolution, which includes $13 billion in cuts to programs under the Departments of Labor, Education, and HHS. Though significant, these cuts are less then those proposed under HR 1. It is thanks to the hard work of the advocacy community over the past few months that these cuts were not deeper.

Long-term CR deal reached, details scarce.
April 11, 2011
The White House and Congressional negotiators reached a deal Friday on a final FY 2011 appropriations bill, which reportedly provides $38.5 billion in cuts compared to current levels, including $13 billion in cuts under Labor, Education and HHS. However, there are still few details on how the bill will impact workforce programs. 

House committees hold training hearings.
April 7, 2011
Three key House committees held hearings this week to address the findings of a recent GAO report on federal job training programs. The timing of the hearings strongly suggests that House Republicans intend to make sweeping structural changes and funding cuts to workforce and other programs a key component of their legislative agenda.

FY11 talks break down; FY12 budget released.
April 5, 2011
The stopgap continuing resolution (CR) currently funding the federal government is set to expire on April 8, but negotiations between the White House and congressional leaders on a longer-term deal appear to have broken down—at least temporarily—increasing the possibility of a government shutdown as early as this weekend.

Bipartisan SECTORS Act introduced.
March 29, 2011On March 29, Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) introduced the SECTORS Act, legislation that will help grow American industries and provide employment opportunities for America’s workers. Congressmen Dave Loebsack (D-IA) and Todd Platts (R-PA) introduced companion legislation in the House.

Workforce groups release training fact sheets.
March 28, 2011
To counter some of the myths and misperceptions about federal job training investments, National Skills Coalition has partnered with a number of other national groups to release a series of short fact sheets about the effectiveness and efficiency of the nation's workforce development system.

Congress approves three-week CR.
March 18, 2011
The Senate voted yesterday to approve a three-week continuing resolution (CR) that will extend funding for federal government operations through April 8, replacing an existing CR that was set to expire today. Despite passing both chambers by wide margins, there is strong political pressure on the White House and congressional leaders to reach a compromise on a longer-term measure for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011.

S2C-New York launches, releases report.
March 15, 2011
Skills2Compete-New York launched today with the release of New York's Forgotten Middle-Skill Jobs. Read coverage of the report in the Wall Street Journal. 

Congress to vote on three-week CR.
March 14, 2011
Congress is expected to vote this week on a new stopgap continuing resolution (CR) to fund federal government operations through April 8, replacing the current CR that is set to expire on Friday. The three-week measure provides for about $6 billion in cuts compared to current year funding levels, including $350 million in cuts to programs under DOL. 

NSC Announces 2010 Skills Champion.
March 7, 2011
As part of its 2011 Skills Summit National Skills Coalition announced San Francisco Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) Executive Director Abby Snay as its 2010 Skills Champion Award Recipient.

DOL announces transitional jobs grants.
March 3, 2011
On March 2, DOL released a Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) announcing the availability of $40 million in grant funds to support enhanced transitional jobs programs for low-income non-custodial parents and ex-offenders.

DOL announces career pathways grants.
March 1, 2011
On February 28, DOL released an SGA announcing the availability of $122 million in competitive grants under the Career Pathways Innovation Fund, which will support community colleges and other eligible applicants in developing and implementing career pathways programs for unemployed and incumbent workers.

NSC releases analysis of HR1 WIA cuts.
February 28, 2011
HR1, the House-passed Continuing Resolution, would cut all Program Year 2011 funding for the Workforce Investment Act. NSC has prepared an analysis and graph to help advocates explain the true impact of these cuts.

Senate urged to reject workforce cuts.
February 25, 2011
National Skills Coalition has joined with more than forty other national organizations urging the Senate to reject the drastic cuts in funding for job training and education under HR 1, the Fiscal Year 2011 continuing resolution passed by the House on February 19.

House passes CR; focus now on Senate.
February 21, 2011
On February 19, the House voted 235-189 to approve a continuing resolution (CR) for the remainder of FY 2011 that would reduce federal discretionary spending by about $60 billion below current funding levels, including cutting nearly $3.8 billion in funding for job training programs under DOL. The process now moves to the Senat

House CR drastically cuts workforce funding.
February 17, 2011
The House of Representatives is expected to vote tonight or tomorrow on a continuing resolution (CR), which would replace the current CR that expires March 4, and which would cut nearly $3.8 billion in funding for job training programs under the Department of Labor. 

NSC responds to Coburn training report.
February 11, 2011
NSC responds to Sen. Tom Coburn's new report suggesting that the federal government wastes money on an “$18 billion training maze” of duplicative and ineffective workforce development programs.

$2B in job training cuts announced.
February 9, 2011
The House Appropriations Committee announces partial list of spending cuts to be included in the upcoming continuing resolution for FY 2011; the single largest cut included on the list is $2 billion in job training fund.

Policymakers urged to protect workforce funding.
February 7, 2011
NSC and other national organizations send letter to key Members of Congress and the Administration, urge them to prioritize investments in federal employment and training, adult education, and postsecondary education programs in FY 2011 and 2012.

S2C-MA proposes middle skills legislation.
January 28, 2011
Skills2Compete-Massachusetts filed groundbreaking legislation this month—the Middle Skills Solutions Act—seeking to increase credential attainment and wages for Massachusetts workers.

TAA set to expire February 12.
January 27, 2011
The Trade Ajustment Assistance program, which retrains workers who have lost their jobs due to outsourcing or foreign competition, will be eliminated in just over two weeks if Congress does not act to extend current law.

A Sputnik moment for all Americans.
January 26, 2011
Read NSC Executive Director Andy Van Kleunen's commentary in response to President Obama's State of the Union address. 

NSC releases summary of TAACCCT SGA.
January 21, 2011
DOL posts Solicitation for Grant Applications for the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training  Grants Program. Read NSC’s summary of the key provisions in the SGA.

"Lame duck" includes CR, TAA extension.
January 5, 2011
The final days of 2010 saw a flurry of activity on Capitol Hill, as the 111th Congress completed work on a wide range of legislation. However, on at least two issues of interest to the workforce development community, lawmakers adopted stopgap measures that will leave final decisions on these priorities to the incoming Congress.

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