[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1778]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      AMERICAN MANUFACTURING EFFICIENCY AND RETRAINING INVESTMENT 
                  COLLABORATION ACHIEVEMENT WORKS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 28, 2010

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to promote 
America's workforce competitiveness by calling for measures that 
modernize our job training programs and prepare workers with the skills 
they need to succeed in the 21st century global economy. The bill 
before us, the AMERICA Works Act, H.R. 4072, would develop the 
technical workforce necessary to strengthen and attract in-demand 
industries in the United States, and create good jobs in regional 
economies across the country.
   Our Nation's economic recovery remains extremely fragile. According 
to last month's jobs report, 42 percent of the nearly 15 million people 
have been unemployed for 6 months or longer. Despite large numbers of 
individuals looking for jobs, the staffing firm Manpower, Inc., found 
in a recent survey that one in five employers have left positions 
unfilled because they did not believe qualified candidates existed. 
Especially employers in key industries such as manufacturing, 
healthcare, and energy report difficulty finding workers with 
appropriate skill sets. With unemployment rates expected to remain high 
for months to come, investing in targeted job training that matches 
labor market demand is an economic strategy needed for a strong and 
sustained recovery.
  Employers rely on a pipeline of skilled workers to drive innovation, 
increase productivity, and remain globally competitive. At the same 
time, individuals need the skills and credentials to fill these jobs. 
According to the Virginia Council on Advanced Technology Skills, which 
include companies such as Micron Technology, Inc., and Boehringer 
Ingelheim Chemicals, more than 40,000 manufacturing jobs could open up 
in the region over the next few years. The industry group is currently 
developing an assessment to determine what skills employers require and 
help students learn what skills they need to increase their job 
prospects and increase their salary when they are hired. The goal is to 
be able to match workers with the core skills and industry-recognized 
credentials for employers that have job openings. Addressing the 
current skills mismatch, according to the president of the Minneapolis 
Federal Reserve Bank, could reduce national unemployment from 9.6 
percent to as low as 6.5 percent.
  The AMERICA Works Act will help workers and employers like the 
industry group in Viriginia as well as other industry-sector 
partnerships fill the skills gap by honing in on the importance of 
industry-recognized, portable credentials. Specifically, the bill would 
direct the use of public funds for designated programs within the Carl 
D. Perkins Vocational-Technical Education Act and the Workforce 
Investment Act to prepare individuals with the core skills necessary to 
obtain good, middle-class jobs. This bill complements other efforts, 
including sector strategies, which support local partnerships between 
business, labor, the workforce system, and education and training 
providers to ensure that workers have the skills employers need to 
compete in the global marketplace.
   Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congressman Minnick and Congressman Lee 
for introducing this legislation that invests in the skills of 
America's workers. I urge my colleagues to continue to advance 
education and training measures that build America's workforce and 
strengthen the economy.

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