Now is the time to meaningfully update and reshape federal workforce programs to address the present and future of work.
The Honorable Patty Murray
Chair
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Robert “Bobby” Scott
Chair
Committee on Education and Labor
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Richard Burr
Ranking Member
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Virginia Foxx
Ranking Member
Committee on Education and Labor
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairwoman Murray, Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Burr, and Ranking Member Foxx:
On behalf of Governors, we write to share key principles we believe should be used to redesign the federal workforce development system, create new federal investments in job training programs, and support Governor-led efforts to create jobs, uplift workers, and provide employers with the tools they need to further skills development.
Since the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in 2014, the needs of workers, families and employers have evolved. With the rise of the “gig” economy, the shortage of affordable child care, and the new realities of work that have been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic – now is the time to meaningfully update and reshape federal workforce programs to address the present and future of work.
The state- and territory-led federal workforce development partnership has been critical to ensuring all Americans, including low-income and middle-class families, can compete and thrive in the economy of today and tomorrow. States, territories and the federal government should work together to simplify the federal workforce structure and create public-private partnerships to upskill workers that will bridge the ever-present skills gap and fuel economic recovery as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.
With Congress considering necessary unprecedented investments in workforce development and the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the nation’s Governors request Congress make the following principles the foundation for federal action on workforce development:
- Elevating Governor, State and Territory Leadership
- Increasing State and Territory Flexible Funding and Unleashing Innovation
- Empowering Employers to Develop Job-Specific Skills
- Facilitating Greater Alignment Between Education and Workforce Development Initiatives
- Administrative Simplification
- Expanding Access to and Participation in Workforce Programs
Sincerely,
- Missouri Governor Mike Parson – Co-Chair, NGA Community Renewal Task Force
- U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr. – Co-Chair, NGA Community Renewal Task Force
