Lujan Announces Legislation to Bolster Workforce Development and Employment Opportunities in New Mexico

Statement

The Department of Energy National Labs Jobs ACCESS Act will support targeted apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs that utilize local high schools, community colleges, universities, and other higher education institutions and workforce intermediaries, working in partnership with local national laboratories and National Nuclear Security Administration sites, to fill skills gaps in critical sectors of the workforce.

The legislation will provide the Department of Energy with $25 million over the next five years to establish pilot specialized skills employment programs to support on-the-job training, apprenticeships, work-study co-ops, and certification classes for eligible applicants. The apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship credentials will foster attractive career pathways in the high-demand, special-skilled jobs available at DOE national laboratories and NNSA sites.

Advances in science and technology have created a demand for workers that have greater proficiency in literacy and numeracy, but traditional K-12 education has not focused on these skilled positions -- creating a skills gap that is having sweeping impacts on our innovation abilities and employment rates as a nation. To address this skills gap, we will need to increase the quantity of skilled technical workers in our country by about 3.4 million by 2025.

"Expanding professional opportunities and investing in our workforce is critical for preparing for the future. This bipartisan, legislation will provide a boost to local economies and create a job pipeline for our national laboratories across the country and in New Mexico. Critically, this legislation will create new, good-paying jobs for New Mexicans. I'm proud to work with my colleagues to achieve real, meaningful progress in our efforts to bolster working women and men," said Assistant Speaker Luján.

"The next generation of innovators is going to take our country and our economy to the next level, but right now there is a skills gap in the education and training needed to prepare our kids for the jobs of the future," said Representative Haaland. "The DOE Job ACCESS Act will solve this problem by connecting local high schools, training facilities, community colleges, and universities to develop the professionals and the expertise to ensure New Mexicans have access to the good paying jobs and opportunities."

"A key component of a strong and vibrant workforce are apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs that help Americans secure good-paying jobs. By partnering with local high schools, community colleges, and other higher education institutions, we are offering New Mexicans the opportunity to learn the high-tech skills they will need to exponentially increase their job prospects and keep our nation competitive in the global economy. I'm proud to support this bipartisan legislation and will continue to fight for investments that will expand job opportunities across New Mexico," said Representative Torres Small.

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