[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 78 (Thursday, May 11, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1013]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 INTRODUCTION OF THE ``CONSOLIDATED AND REFORMED EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, 
          AND REHABILITATION SYSTEMS ACT'' THE ``CAREERS ACT''

                                 ______


                          HON. STEVE GUNDERSON

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 11, 1995
  Mr. GUNDERSON. Mr. Speaker, at a time when the skills levels of the 
American workforce are more important than ever before to U.S. 
competitiveness, this country's programs designed to prepare its 
workers are seriously fragmented and duplicative. Because education and 
training programs have been developed independently over many years, 
there is no national strategy for a coherent workforce preparation and 
development system.
  As we all know by now, the U.S. GAO has identified 163 different 
Federal programs, totaling $20 billion, which offer some form of job 
training and/or employment assistance to youth and adults in the United 
States--yet over the past several years we have continued to add to 
this number. A major focus of any reform effort must be to eliminate 
unnecessary duplication and fragmentation in these systems, and at the 
same time, provide States and localities with the flexibility needed to 
build on successful existing programs and initiate change where 
appropriate.
  Today we are introducing the Careers Act--a multi-tiered job training 
reform effort that: Streamlines workforce preparation programs at the 
Federal level through consolidation of similar programs; and provides 
flexibility needed by States and local areas to further reform State 
and local systems--building on existing successful programs, 
encouraging change where such change is needed, and involving the 
private sector at all levels in development of the system.
  This proposal builds very closely on two bills that Committee 
Republicans introduced last Congress--H.R. 2943, the National Workforce 
Preparation and Development Act; and H.R. 4407, the original Careers 
Act. It also follows through on legislation we introduced earlier this 
year, H.R. 511, which pledged significant reform in this area. With the 
Careers Act, we are going much further with reform than anyone dreamed 
was possible during last Congress.
  Specifically, the Careers Act consolidates well over 100 Federal 
education and training programs (as listed by the GAO) into 4 
consolidation grants to States and local communities. The four 
consolidation grants include: A Youth Workforce Preparation 
Consolidation Grant--consolidating Vocational Education; School-to-
Work; and JTPA's Summer Youth Employment, Year-Round, and Youth Fair 
Chance Programs with programs would be built on a model integrating 
academic, vocational, and workbased learning, and enhancing State and 
local employer input in the design/development/delivery of programs; a 
Vocational Rehabilitation Consolidation Grant; an Adult Training 
Consolidation Grant (including programs for Disadvantaged Adults and 
for Dislocated Workers); and an Adult Education and Literacy 
Consolidation Grant (including all Adult Education and Literacy 
programs). The legislation will provide maximum authority to States and 
localities in the design and operation of their workforce preparation 
system; drive money to States--and down to local communities to the 
actual points of service delivery; require the involvement of local 
employers in the design and implementation of local systems--through 
employer-led local Workforce Development Boards; require that service 
delivery be provided through a one-stop delivery structure; and we even 
allow the Secretary of Labor and States to use a portion of their 
funding to establish employer loan accounts for the training of 
incumbent workers.
  Further, the legislation privatizes 2 existing government sponsored 
enterprises, Sallie Mae and Connie Lee--in the spirit of reduced 
Federal control for programs that no longer need Government support.
  There is no doubt that future U.S. competitiveness is dependent on 
the skill levels of our workers. In addition to global competition, 
technological advances and corporate realignments highlight the need to 
focus on worker preparation. The future of U.S. competitiveness really 
rests on what I describe as a ``3-legged stool.'' We have already 
accomplished the construction of the 1st leg--tearing down barriers to 
trade through the enactment of NAFTA and GATT. We are currently working 
on the 2d leg--providing tax and other incentives for modernization of 
the workplace. Finally, the 3d leg, and probably the most difficult to 
strengthen and uphold, but one that is imperative to succeed, is that 
of investing in and strengthening the education and training of our 
citizenry.
  I think that the Careers Act accomplishes the building and 
strengthening of this ``3d leg''. It focuses on the workforce 
preparation and literacy needs of youth, adults, and individuals with 
disabilities. I hope that we will succeed in seeing its enactment this 
year.


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