Rep. Sherrill Votes to Pass Legislation to Improve Workforce Development System and Combat Labor Shortages

Press Release

Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor, voted to pass the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) on the House floor today. WIOA is a crucial reauthorization of our nation's workforce development, job training, adult education, and youth employment programs. WIOA provides training and career services that help workers across the country get the skills they need for good-paying jobs and help employers secure a qualified workforce.

This legislation includes key priorities that Rep. Sherrill has championed, including a new Workforce Development Innovation Fund that will provide resources for evidence-based workforce programs based on her bill, H.R. 4338 and expanded labor representation on state and local workforce boards based on her bill, H.R. 7390.

"Access to training, education, and employment resources opens doors for hardworking families and helps strengthen our local economies," said Rep. Sherrill. "This legislation will help ensure that all workers can access these opportunities and small businesses have a strong workforce. I'm pleased this bill includes a robust commitment to the participation of our labor organizations in the workforce system, and to the use of rigorous evaluations to ensure that we are funding the programs that are proven to work for job seekers and small businesses. I now urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass this important legislation as soon as possible."

"The passing of this legislation is a major accomplishment which will help drive economic growth and opportunity, while providing a means for us to invest in our workforce capabilities. We applaud the efforts of Congresswoman Sherrill for her support of this legislation," said Craig Schlosser, Vice President of Economic Development at the Morris County Economic Development Corporation.

"The WIOA legislation is essential to our nation's economy, vital to the growth of U.S. businesses and provides a direct talent pipeline of workers with the skills most needed," said Jane A. Armstrong PhD, Executive Director of the Morris-Sussex-Warren Workforce Development Board.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022 strengthens our workforce system and expands opportunities available to workers by:

Fully funding WIOA job training and workforce development programs over six years, allowing the workforce system to serve one million workers annually by 2028;
Increasing the representation of labor organizations on state and local workforce boards;
Creating the Workforce Development Innovation Fund, which will fund evidence-based workforce programs that have demonstrated significant impacts on wages and jobs;
Establishing a Department of Labor program to help formerly incarcerated individuals transition back to employment and access sustainable career pathways;
Expanding summer and year-round jobs programs for at-risk youth;
Strengthening the quality of the Jobs Corps program;
Codifying partnerships between businesses and our community college system to provide high-quality job training; and
Strengthening industry and sector partnerships to help meet the needs of both employers and workers.

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