[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 21, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3975-S3976]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. HAGAN:
  S. 1243. A bill to require that certain Federal job training and 
career education programs give priority to programs that provide an 
industry-recognized and nationally portable credential; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mrs. HAGAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to reintroduce a very 
important piece of legislation to accelerate job growth across America, 
the American Manufacturing Efficiency and Retraining Investment 
Collaboration Achievement Works Act, also known as the AMERICA Works 
Act. This bill is part of the solution to the Nation's economic and 
unemployment problem.
  We all know that American families, as well as the manufacturing 
industry, have faced difficult times over the last few years. But the 
truth is that the manufacturing industry will always be a vital part of 
our Nation's economy.
  The national unemployment rate has stabilized somewhat, but almost 14 
million Americans remain out of work. We still have a long way to go. 
In my home

[[Page S3976]]

State of North Carolina, unemployment hovers at 9.7 percent, with 
several counties facing double-digit unemployment rates. Job creation 
is my number one priority and this legislation is an innovative way to 
get Americans back into the workforce.
  The United States needs a strong technical workforce. The AMERICA 
Works Act would encourage national industries, such as biotechnology, 
construction, and machinery, to come together and agree on the skill 
sets they most value in prospective employees. Community colleges would 
participate, creating the appropriate curricula to meet those needs. 
Students who complete the programs would receive an industry-recognized 
credential. Workers who carry these industry-backed credentials would 
be able to market themselves in any area of the country. Businesses 
could count on the fact that workers with these credentials have the 
expertise and skills they are looking for.
  The AMERICA Works Act would require certain Federal job training and 
career development education programs to give priority to programs that 
provide an industry-recognized and nationally portable credential. This 
credentialing system starts out with basic competencies that prepare 
individuals for the workplace. Once basic competencies are completed, 
individuals can work toward high performance technical competencies and 
then progress further to highly skilled technical and management 
competencies. The credentialing levels are stackable, allowing workers 
flexibility along their career tracks. Stackable credentials provide 
straightforward paths, with clear entry and exit points, for workers to 
advance their careers and attain high quality jobs.
  In North Carolina, we have an advanced manufacturing skills program 
at Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem. Forsyth Tech 
is participating in the National Association of Manufacturers' 
Manufacturing Skills Certification System, which offers credit programs 
toward nationally recognized, stackable credentials. They have had 
hundreds of students enroll in their programs. Forsyth Tech has already 
collaborated with state and local businesses to begin the process of 
incorporating their credentials into job descriptions. They believe 
that introducing graduates with skill certifications into the local 
workforce will help improve the hiring process, and the nationally 
recognized credentials will improve employment opportunities.
  When the President's Jobs Council met earlier this month in North 
Carolina, a leading topic of discussion, and something the President 
himself mentioned, is the need to improve job training for American 
industries so that our workers can be competitive in the global 
economy.
  The AMERICA Works Act will help job seekers and employers keep 
America competitive in every industry, from textiles to aerospace, 
high-tech to biotech, and connect programs like those offered at 
Forsyth Tech with employers in the community, region, and across the 
United States.
  As I mentioned before, job creation is my number one priority. I want 
to do everything I can to create jobs and make sure our workers have 
the skills necessary to help our businesses grow and thrive. By 
incentivizing industry-recognized, nationally portable, stackable 
credentials, we can ensure that America has the best businesses, with 
the best-trained workers leading the world.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important bill to 
expand employment opportunities for hardworking Americans.

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