Bipartisan Bill from Senators Coons, Ayotte Would Boost Manufacturing Skills Training

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) introduced bipartisan legislation to help cities and states build 21st century manufacturing training programs. The Manufacturing Skills Act would create an annual $100 million competitive grant to support initiatives that strengthen the manufacturing workforce and address regional skills challenges.

"Manufacturing plays a critical role in keeping our economy competitive globally and strengthening the middle class," said Senator Coons. "Manufacturing is rapidly evolving and spreading across sectors, creating more than half a million manufacturing jobs in the last three years. Yet hundreds of jobs remain unfilled because our training programs haven't evolved to meet the growing demand for high-skilled workers. This bipartisan bill will address that gap by helping cities and states craft effective, relevant workforce training programs that will equip students with the appropriate skills for the 21st century and ensure American manufacturing is primed for growth in the decades to come."

"As I visit manufacturers throughout New Hampshire, I hear frequently about the challenges they're facing in finding high-skilled workers to fill good-paying jobs," said Senator Ayotte. "Job training needs to be customized to a city or state's local economy - there's no one-size-fits-all model. Rather than dictate job training standards from the top, our bill allows local officials, educational institutions, and business leaders to partner together and build job training plans that best fit their unique needs - helping ensure New Hampshire has the right workforce."

According to a study by the Boston Consulting Group, the number of unfilled skilled manufacturing jobs in the U.S. will reach approximately 875,000 by 2020. While many of these jobs require highly trained workers, the most in-demand skills vary considerably by region and industry. The Manufacturing Skills Act will give state and local leaders the resources and flexibility to design workforce-training programs that fit their regions' specific needs.

Applicants will establish a local task force, consisting of leaders from the public, nonprofit, and manufacturing sector, as well as labor and education representatives, to apply for and carry out the three-year grant. A federal inter-agency partnership will review applications and award grants to the five states and five metropolitan areas with the strongest proposals.

"The Business and Industry Association, New Hampshire's statewide chamber of commerce, appreciates Senator Ayotte's continued bipartisan efforts to boost advanced manufacturing with her reintroduction of the 'Manufacturing Skills Act.' This important initiative addresses two top priority issues for BIA -- creating an environment that supports the growth of advanced manufacturing and technology companies, and improving educational outcomes and skills for our next generation workforce," said BIA President, Jim Roche.

"We applaud Sen. Ayotte for reintroducing this important bill," said Jan Nisbet, senior vice provost for research at the University of New Hampshire. "Manufacturing remains a vital part of New Hampshire's economy, and this legislation would help strengthen manufacturing education and help spur innovation. The university looks forward to working with others in New Hampshire to submit a strong proposal should this legislation be enacted."

The bill has been endorsed by the AFL-CIO, Association for Career & Technical Education, Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire, Delaware Manufacturing Association, Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, DuPont, National Skills Coalition, New Hampshire Division of Resources and Economic Development, New Hampshire Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Third Way, United Autoworkers, University of Delaware, and the University of New Hampshire.

Source