[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 346 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 346

Designating September 2021 as ``National Workforce Development Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 9, 2021

Mrs. Feinstein (for herself, Mr. Young, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Scott of South 
   Carolina, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Braun, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Wicker, Ms. 
Klobuchar, Mrs. Capito, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Cramer, Ms. Hirono, Mrs. 
Hyde-Smith, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Daines, Ms. Smith, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. 
 Murphy, Ms. Rosen, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Peters, Mr. Durbin, 
and Ms. Ernst) submitted the following resolution; which was considered 
                             and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Designating September 2021 as ``National Workforce Development Month''.

Whereas investment in the education, training, and career advancement of the 
        workforce in the United States, known as ``workforce development'', is 
        crucial to the ability of the United States to compete in the global 
        economy;
Whereas collaboration among Governors, local governments, State and local 
        education, workforce, and human services agencies, community colleges, 
        local businesses, employment service providers, community-based 
        organizations, and workforce development boards provides for long-term, 
        sustainable, and successful workforce development across traditional 
        sectors and emerging industries;
Whereas jobs that require more than a high school diploma but not a 4-year 
        degree comprise 52 percent of the labor market, but only 42 percent of 
        workers in the United States have been able to access training at that 
        level, creating a discrepancy that may limit growth in changing 
        industries such as health care, manufacturing, and information 
        technology;
Whereas 76 percent of business leaders say greater investment in skills training 
        would help their businesses;
Whereas, as of summer 2021 in the United States--

    (1) nearly 10,000,000 individuals are unemployed;

    (2) unemployment rates for Black and Hispanic adults are well above the 
unemployment rates for White adults;

    (3) workers without a bachelor's degree are nearly 2 times more likely 
to be unemployed;

    (4) more than \1/2\ of the jobs lost due to the Coronavirus Disease 
2019 (COVID-19) pandemic were by workers earning less than $40,000 per 
year; and

    (5) according to a recent poll, nearly \1/2\ of workers said they will 
need to learn new skills in the next year to do their jobs, while more than 
\1/2\ said they would retrain for a career in a different field or industry 
if they had the opportunity;

Whereas, as of June 2021, employment rates among workers with lower levels of 
        educational attainment remained far below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, 
        including 7.2 percent below those levels for workers with a high school 
        diploma and 10.1 percent below those levels for workers without a high 
        school diploma, even as workers with higher levels of educational 
        attainment have nearly returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic employment 
        levels;
Whereas, in 2014, Congress reauthorized the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
        Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) with overwhelming bipartisan support in 
        recognition of the need to strengthen the focus of the United States on 
        the skills necessary to fill jobs in local and regional industries;
Whereas the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) 
        supports employment, training, and support services for individuals with 
        barriers to employment, including--

    (1) individuals who earn low incomes;

    (2) individuals who are out of work, including the long-term 
unemployed;

    (3) individuals displaced by outsourcing;

    (4) individuals living in rural areas or areas with persistently high 
unemployment;

    (5) individuals looking to learn new skills; and

    (6) individuals with disabilities;

Whereas the more than 550 workforce development boards and 2,400 American Job 
        Centers are a driving force behind growing regional economies by 
        providing training, resources, and assistance to workers who aim to 
        compete in the 21st century economy;
Whereas ongoing State and local implementation of the Workforce Innovation and 
        Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) provides unprecedented 
        opportunities to develop the skills of workers in the United States 
        through access to effective, quality workforce education and training, 
        including the development and delivery of proven strategies such as 
        sector partnerships, career pathways, integrated education and training, 
        work-based learning models, and paid internships;
Whereas, in 2019, programs authorized under the Workforce Innovation and 
        Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.)--

    (1) served nearly 6,300,000 young people and adults; and

    (2) exceeded employment targets across all programs;

Whereas State programs established under the Wagner-Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. 49 et 
        seq.)--

    (1) ensured that more than 3,400,000 workers, including more than 
212,000 veterans, had access to career services through American Job 
Centers in 2019; and

    (2) are a foundational part of the workforce development system;

Whereas workforce development programs will play a critical role in addressing 
        the 500,000 additional jobs that remain open in manufacturing industries 
        compared to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels;
Whereas community colleges and other workforce development training providers 
        across the United States are well situated--

    (1) to train the next generation of workers in the United States; and

    (2) to address the educational challenges created by emerging 
industries and technological advancements;

Whereas participation in a career and technical education (referred to in this 
        preamble as ``CTE'') program decreases the risk of students dropping out 
        of high school, and all 50 States and the District of Columbia report 
        higher graduation rates for CTE students, as compared to other students;
Whereas community and technical colleges operate as open access institutions 
        serving millions of students annually at a comparatively low cost;
Whereas the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century 
        Act (Public Law 115-224; 132 Stat. 1563) supports the development and 
        implementation of high-quality CTE programs that--

    (1) combine rigorous academic content with occupational skills; and

    (2) served approximately 12,500,000 high school and college students 
between 2018 and 2019;

Whereas there are more than 600,000 registered apprentices in the United States, 
        and there is growing and bipartisan support for expanding quality earn-
        and-learn strategies to help current and future workers gain skills and 
        work experience;
Whereas the federally supported workforce system and partner programs--

    (1) have helped rebuild the economy of the United States and provide 
increased economic opportunities; and

    (2) provide a pathway into 21st century jobs that support families 
while ensuring that businesses in the United States find the skilled 
workforce needed to compete in the global economy; and

Whereas workforce development is crucial to sustaining economic security for 
        workers in the United States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates September 2021 as ``National Workforce 
        Development Month'';
            (2) supports Federal initiatives to promote workforce 
        development; and
            (3) acknowledges that workforce development plays a crucial 
        role in supporting workers and growing the economy.
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