[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 78 (Thursday, May 11, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1016-E1017]
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. HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 11, 1995
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, today I am joining the distinguished 
Chairman of the Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities, 
Rep. Bill Goodling, all Republican Members of our Committee, and 
Representatives Kasich, Delay, Boehner, and Davis, in introduction of 
the Consolidated and Reformed Education, Employment, and Rehabilitation 
Systems Act--better known as the Careers Act of 1995. This legislation 
transforms this Nation's vast array of career-related education, 
employment, and job training programs into a true system of workforce 
preparation and development.
  As was brought to the attention of the Congress by the U.S. General 
Accounting Office over the past several years, the United States 
currently has as many as 163 different Federal programs, totaling $20 
billion, which offer some form of job training and/or employment 
assistance for youth and adults. In addition to the excessive number of 
Federal programs, the quality of U.S. training programs varies 
significantly. As a result, earlier this year we introduced H.R. 511, 
the Workforce Preparation and Development Act, which pledged that the 
104th Congress would, thoroughly evaluate our current programs, and 
subsequently develop and enact legislation that: First, Eliminates 
duplication and fragmentation in federal workforce development 
programs; Second, transfers major decision-making to States and local 
communities; Third, stresses the vital role of the private sector, at 
all levels, in the design and implementation of the workforce 
preparation system; Fourth, is market driven, accountable, reinforces 
individual responsibility, and provides customer choice and easy access 
to services; and Fifth, establishes a national labor market information 
system that provides employers, job seekers, students, teachers, 
training providers, and others with accurate and timely information on 
the local economy, on occupations in demand and the skill requirements 
for such occupations, and information on the performance of service 
providers in the local community.
  Today, after a comprehensive set of hearings on this issue, we are 
following through on our promise. We are introducing legislation that 
will do what was pledged in H.R. 511. The Careers Act, does all of the 
above and more. The Careers Act would consolidate and eliminate over 
150 existing education, training, and employment assistance programs 
into 4 consolidation grants to the States. Such grants would include: A 
Youth Workforce Preparation Grant; and Adult Employment and Training 
Grant; a Vocational Rehabilitation Grant; and an Adult Education and 
Literacy Grant. And these 4 programs, working together, will form each 
State's workforce preparation system.
  Our bill provides maximum authority to States and localities in the 
design and operation of their workforce preparation systems. We 
significantly reduce administrative requirements, paperwork, 
duplicative planning, reporting, and data collection requirements 
across the various programs--in general eliminating vast bureaucracy 
within the system. However, our legislation does provide some broad 
parameters for the design of a workforce development system, that we 
feel are necessary to move the system in the right direction, based on 
testimony heard in our numerous hearings, and in talking to people 
around the country.
  Specifically, title I of Careers, is designed to build an 
infrastructure in States and local communities for development and 
implementation of a comprehensive workforce development system. At the 
State level, Governors are asked to pull together key State agency 
heads and leaders from business and education to develop a single State 
plan and performance measurement system for the entire workforce 
development system. Governors are also asked to designate workforce 
development areas throughout the State, for the distribution of funds 
and service delivery under much of the system.
  To ensure the involvement of employers in the design and 
implementation of local systems, Careers requires the establishment of 
local, employer-led, workforce development boards. These boards would 
provide policy guidance and oversight over local systems, and would be 
responsible for the establishment of local one-stop delivery systems--
easily accessible single points of entry into the local workforce 
preparation system.
  The youth workforce development program pulls school systems and 
postsecondary institutions together with local business leaders to 
develop a school-to-work system for both in-school, and out-of-school 
youth in the community. This system is designed to result in 
challenging academic and occupational competency gains for all youth in 
the community, as well as completion of high school, or its equivalent, 
and other positive outcomes such as placement and retention in 
employment, or continuation into postsecondary education or training. 
States would also be require to show how special population students 
meet the performance standards.
  Under the adult and the vocational rehabilitation programs, upfront 
or core services--such as information on jobs, assessment of skills, 
counseling, job search assistance, information on education, training, 
and vocational rehabilitation programs in the local community, 
assessment of eligibility for such programs--including eligibility for 
student financial aid--and referral to appropriate programs would be 
available to all individuals through a net work of one-stop career 
centers and affiliated satellite centers throughout each community. For 
individuals with severe disabilities and determined to be in need of 
more intensive services, such services would be available through 
vouchers and other means to be used with approved providers of 
vocational rehabilitation services. Under the adult training system, 
for individuals who are unable to obtain employment through the core 
services, more intensive service such as specialized assessment and 
counseling, and development of employability plans, would be 
available--also through the one-stops. For those unable to obtain 
employment through these services and determined to be in need of 
education or training, such services would be provided--through the use 
of vouchers or other means that offer maximum customer choice in the 
selection of training providers. States would be required to establish 
a certification system for the identification of legitimate providers 
of education and training for receipt of vouchers--taking into account 
the recommendations of local workforce boards.
  Finally, beyond the specific area of job training, the Careers Act 
includes privatization proposals for 2 existing government sponsored 
enterprises--again focusing on the streamlining of federal programs. 
Sallie Mae and Connie Lee were created by the Higher Education Act and 
are examples of for-profit, stockholder owned GSEs which have 
successfully fulfilled their intended purposes. Privatization cuts the 
ties to the Federal Government and establishes a willingness on the 
part of the Government to take a successful public-private partnership 
and turn it into a completely private venture when government support 
is no longer necessary. I want to thank the administration for its 
thoughtful testimony at our hearing on the issue of privatization and 
for its assistance in identifying and addressing the important and 
complex issue involved in privatization proposals. And also, I would 
like to thank the administration for its testimony and advice on reform 
of our job training system.
  As a Congressman from a district in California that has been hit hard 
by defense and aerospace cutbacks--I understand that the skills of this 
Nation's workforce are more important today then ever before to U.S. 
competitiveness. However, our current patchwork of Federal programs is 
not the answer. The Careers Act addresses our long term workforce 
preparation strategy by creating a [[Page E1017]] seamless system for 
youth and adults to meet the competitive needs of our workforce. I 
thank our distinguished Chairman for his insight and leadership on this 
vital issue and I invite all of my colleagues to join with us in this 
dramatic effort to overhaul the Federal approach to job training and 
workforce preparation.


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