The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, responsible for the Workforce Investment Act of 2013 has unanimously agreed to present their modern-day version of the bill to the full Senate floor for consideration.
Senate bill, S. 1356, otherwise known as the Workforce Investment Act of 2013, is expected to do great things for the economy. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez comments in the July 31st Department of Labor newsletter, “reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act will grow our economy, help restore middle-class security and empower more people to live the American Dream.” Unlike its predecessor, the Workforce Investment Act of 2013 will focus on providing Americans with not only a plethora of job opportunities, but also the skills necessary to succeed in them.
It will accomplish this by forming partnerships among businesses, laborers, workforce boards, community colleges, nonprofits, and whomever else needed to reach a common understanding of the needs for each economic region. The bill’s ultimate goal is a demand-driven approach to development within the workforce; an economy that responds directly to the employers’ and employees’ needs.
This new and improved bill could be a huge step in the right direction. We should all hope for its smooth and quick passage through the Senate floor.