American Manufacturing Efficiency and Retraining Investment Collaboration Achievement Works Act
Floor Speech
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I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4072, the American Manufacturing Efficiency and Retraining Investment Collaboration Act, or AMERICA Works Act. This bill would direct the use of the Workforce Investment Act funds for programs that provide a national industry-recognized and portable credential certificate or degree.
It would also encourage industry-recognized credentials that are nationally recognized and portable under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act.
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Since May, the jobless rate has stayed about the same and economists predict unemployment will remain high for months to come. Despite current unemployment, employers continue to report a skills gap. Manufacturing, healthcare, and energy sectors in particular are finding it difficult to match workers with skills and industry-recognized credentials with employers that have job openings. As the economic outlook continues to stabilize, we must continue to take measures to bring about a full recovery, including investments in strengthening our Nation's workforce.
One of the best ways to prepare today's workforce for today's fast-paced changing global economy is to offer training in industry recognized skills. This bill invests in training towards industry-recognized portable credentials, to help students build the skill sets needed to fill specialized in-demand jobs.
Industry-recognized credentials exist in many sectors of our economy. In manufacturing, industry leaders all across this sector have endorsed a system of skills certification for entry level workers. According to the president of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank, addressing the current skills mismatch could reduce national unemployment from 9.6 percent to as low as 6.5 percent. This bill complements current sector approaches that modernize our workforce system, aligning job training strategies that help individuals improve their skills to find good jobs and employers hire skilled workers.
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