[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 32 (Monday, February 29, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H1008-H1010]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ENERGY AND MANUFACTURING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4583) to promote a 21st century energy and manufacturing
workforce, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4583
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ENERGY AND MANUFACTURING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy (in this Act
referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall prioritize education
and training for energy and manufacturing-related jobs in
order to increase the number of skilled workers trained to
work in energy and manufacturing-related fields when
considering awards for existing grant programs, including
by--
(1) encouraging State education agencies and local
educational agencies to equip students with the skills,
mentorships, training, and technical expertise necessary to
fill the employment opportunities vital to managing and
operating the Nation's energy and manufacturing industries,
in collaboration with representatives from the energy and
manufacturing industries (including the oil, gas, coal,
nuclear, utility, pipeline, renewable, petrochemical,
manufacturing, and electrical construction sectors) to
identify the areas of highest need in each sector and the
skills necessary for a high quality workforce in the
following sectors of energy and manufacturing:
(A) Energy efficiency industry, including work in energy
efficiency, conservation, weatherization, or retrofitting, or
as inspectors or auditors.
(B) Pipeline industry, including work in pipeline
construction and maintenance or work as engineers or
technical advisors.
(C) Utility industry, including work in the generation,
transmission, and distribution of electricity and natural
gas, such as utility technicians, operators, lineworkers,
engineers, scientists, and information technology
specialists.
(D) Nuclear industry, including work as scientists,
engineers, technicians, mathematicians, or security
personnel.
(E) Oil and gas industry, including work as scientists,
engineers, technicians, mathematicians, petrochemical
engineers, or geologists.
(F) Renewable industry, including work in the development,
manufacturing, and production of renewable energy sources
(such as solar, hydropower, wind, or geothermal energy).
(G) Coal industry, including work as coal miners,
engineers, developers and manufacturers of state-of-the-art
coal facilities, technology vendors, coal transportation
workers and operators, or mining equipment vendors.
(H) Manufacturing industry, including work as operations
technicians, operations and design in additive manufacturing,
3-D printing, advanced composites, and advanced aluminum and
other metal alloys, industrial energy efficiency management
systems, including power electronics, and other innovative
technologies.
(I) Chemical manufacturing industry, including work in
construction (such as welders, pipefitters, and tool and die
makers) or as instrument and electrical technicians,
machinists, chemical process operators, chemical engineers,
quality and safety professionals, and reliability engineers;
and
(2) strengthening and more fully engaging Department of
Energy programs and labs in carrying out the Department's
workforce development initiatives including the Minorities in
Energy Initiative.
(b) Prohibition.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to authorize the Secretary or any other officer or
employee of the Federal Government to incentivize, require,
or coerce a State, school district, or school to adopt
curricula aligned to the skills described in subsection (a).
(c) Priority.--The Secretary shall prioritize the education
and training of underrepresented groups in energy and
manufacturing-related jobs.
(d) Clearinghouse.--In carrying out this section, the
Secretary shall establish a clearinghouse to--
(1) maintain and update information and resources on
training and workforce development programs for energy and
manufacturing-related jobs, including job training and
workforce development programs available to assist displaced
and unemployed energy and manufacturing workers transitioning
to new employment; and
(2) provide technical assistance for States, local
educational agencies, schools, community colleges,
universities (including minority serving institutions),
workforce development programs, labor-management
organizations, and industry organizations that would like to
develop and implement energy and manufacturing-related
training programs.
(e) Collaboration.--In carrying out this section, the
Secretary--
(1) shall collaborate with States, local educational
agencies, schools, community colleges, universities
(including minority serving institutions), workforce-training
organizations, national laboratories, State energy offices,
workforce investment boards, and the energy and manufacturing
industries;
(2) shall encourage and foster collaboration, mentorships,
and partnerships among organizations (including industry,
States, local educational agencies, schools, community
colleges, workforce-development organizations, and colleges
and universities) that currently provide effective job
training programs in the energy and manufacturing fields and
entities (including States, local educational agencies,
schools, community colleges, workforce development programs,
and colleges and universities) that seek to establish these
types of programs in order to share best practices; and
(3) shall collaborate with the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
the Department of Commerce, the Bureau of the Census, States,
and the energy and manufacturing industries to develop a
comprehensive and detailed understanding of the energy and
manufacturing workforce needs and opportunities by State and
by region.
(f) Outreach to Minority Serving Institutions.--In carrying
out this section, the Secretary shall--
(1) give special consideration to increasing outreach to
minority serving institutions and Historically Black Colleges
and Universities;
(2) make existing resources available through program
cross-cutting to minority
[[Page H1009]]
serving institutions with the objective of increasing the
number of skilled minorities and women trained to go into the
energy and manufacturing sectors;
(3) encourage industry to improve the opportunities for
students of minority serving institutions to participate in
industry internships and cooperative work/study programs; and
(4) partner with the Department of Energy laboratories to
increase underrepresented groups' participation in
internships, fellowships, traineeships, and employment at all
Department of Energy laboratories.
(g) Outreach to Dislocated Energy and Manufacturing
Workers.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall--
(1) give special consideration to increasing outreach to
employers and job trainers preparing dislocated energy and
manufacturing workers for in-demand sectors or occupations;
(2) make existing resources available through program
cross-cutting to institutions serving dislocated energy and
manufacturing workers with the objective of training
individuals to re-enter in-demand sectors or occupations;
(3) encourage the energy and manufacturing industries to
improve opportunities for dislocated energy and manufacturing
workers to participate in career pathways; and
(4) work closely with the energy and manufacturing
industries to identify energy and manufacturing operations,
such as coal-fired power plants and coal mines, scheduled for
closure and to provide early intervention assistance to
workers employed at such energy and manufacturing operations
by--
(A) partnering with State and local workforce development
boards;
(B) giving special consideration to employers and job
trainers preparing such workers for in-demand sectors or
occupations;
(C) making existing resources available through program
cross-cutting to institutions serving such workers with the
objective of training them to re-enter in-demand sectors or
occupations; and
(D) encouraging the energy and manufacturing industries to
improve opportunities for such workers to participate in
career pathways.
(h) Enrollment in Workforce Development Programs.--In
carrying out this section, the Secretary shall work with
industry and community-based workforce organizations to help
identify candidates, including from underrepresented
communities such as minorities, women, and veterans, to
enroll in workforce development programs for energy and
manufacturing-related jobs.
(i) Prohibition.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed as authorizing the creation of a new workforce
development program.
(j) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Career pathways; dislocated worker; in-demand sectors
or occupations; local workforce development board; state
workforce development board.--The terms ``career pathways'',
``dislocated worker'', ``in-demand sectors or occupations'',
``local workforce development board'', and ``State workforce
development board'' have the meanings given the terms
``career pathways'', ``dislocated worker'', ``in-demand
sectors or occupations'', ``local board'', and ``State
board'', respectively, in section 3 of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
(2) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``minority-
serving institution'' means an institution of higher
education with a designation of one of the following:
(A) Hispanic-serving institution (as defined in 20
U.S.C.1101a(a)(5)).
(B) Tribal College or University (as defined in 20
U.S.C.1059c(b)).
(C) Alaska Native-serving institution or a Native Hawaiian-
serving institution (as defined in 20 U.S.C.1059d(b)).
(D) Predominantly Black Institution (as defined in 20
U.S.C.1059e(b)).
(E) Native American-serving nontribal institution (as
defined in 20 U.S.C.1059f(b)).
(F) Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-
serving institution (as defined in 20 U.S.C.1059g(b)).
SEC. 2. REPORT.
Five years after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Secretary shall publish a comprehensive report to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on
Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives
and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on the
outlook for energy and manufacturing sectors nationally. The
report shall also include a comprehensive summary of energy
and manufacturing job creation as a result of the enactment
of this Act. The report shall include performance data
regarding the number of program participants served, the
percentage of participants in competitive integrated
employment two quarters and four quarters after program
completion, the median income of program participants two
quarters and four quarters after program completion, and the
percentage of program participants receiving industry-
recognized credentials.
SEC. 3. USE OF EXISTING FUNDS.
No additional funds are authorized to carry out the
requirements of this Act. Such requirements shall be carried
out using amounts otherwise authorized.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.
General Leave
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Kentucky?
There was no objection.
{time} 1615
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased that we are considering today H.R.
4583, a bill to promote a 21st century energy and manufacturing
workforce, introduced by my colleagues, Mr. Rush of Illinois and Mr.
Hudson of North Carolina.
This bill takes important steps to help make training for energy and
manufacturing jobs available to women and minorities as well as
veterans and out-of-work coal miners.
I want to give a special word of thanks to Mr. Rush because he and
Mr. Hudson were working on this legislation. They tried to get it
included in the energy act that we passed a few weeks ago, and it
didn't quite work out; but I am delighted that we are able to move this
bill by itself.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, let me begin by commending Chairman Upton, Chairman
Whitfield, Ranking Member Pallone, and the committee staff for working
with my office to bring the 21st century workforce legislation to the
House floor today. I would also publicly acknowledge the leadership of
my colleague, Mr. Hudson of North Carolina, and his staff who played an
instrumental role in helping us to get to this very point.
The good faith talks held between my office, the majority and the
minority committee staff, and Mr. Hudson's office have resulted in this
bipartisan jobs bill that will go a long way in helping to get our
Nation's economy back on track and working for everyone.
Mr. Speaker, this workforce bill before us provides an example of how
Congress should function and how Congress should work on behalf of the
American people. Here we have bipartisan members of the Energy and
Commerce Committee who represent various constituencies from diverse
regions of the country and who come from different political
persuasions. However, Mr. Speaker, it must be well noted that we were
able to put aside our differences and focus our efforts on bringing
forth a jobs bill that will benefit all of our Nation's communities and
help lift up the entire American economy.
And exactly what does this bill do, Mr. Speaker?
This bill directs the Secretary of Energy to prioritize the training
of underrepresented groups, including minorities, women, veterans, as
well as displaced and unemployed energy and manufacturing workers, in
order to increase the number of skilled candidates trained to work in
these same related fields.
Mr. Speaker, this bill will strengthen and more fully engage DOE
programs and national laboratories in order to carry out the
Department's workforce development initiatives. That includes the
Minorities in Energy Initiative that was established 2 years ago, with
my encouragement, under Secretary Moniz's leadership.
There will be a clearinghouse of information and resources on
training and workforce development programs for energy and
manufacturing-related jobs, State by State and region by region all
across our Nation.
Mr. Speaker, this bill will help increase outreach to minority-
serving institutions to ensure that the wealth of existing resources at
DOE are made available to these worthy establishments. It will also
provide additional outreach to displaced and unemployed energy and
manufacturing workers with the objective of improving the opportunities
for these candidates to find employment.
[[Page H1010]]
This legislation, Mr. Speaker, will help to develop a skilled labor
force, trained to work in a wide array of sectors, including
renewables, energy efficiency, oil and gas, coal, nuclear, utility,
pipelines, alternative fuels, as well as energy-intensive and advanced
manufacturing industries.
Mr. Speaker, one of the challenges that I have heard far too many
times from my constituents is of individuals participating in training
programs that in many cases do not always lead to actually finding a
job. With that in mind, Mr. Speaker, this bill will help industry, help
schools, and help community-based workforce development organizations
to identify candidates for enrollment into training and apprenticeship
programs, with the objective of ensuring that the skills learned are
immediately transferable to good-paying jobs and good-paying careers
within the energy and manufacturing sectors regionally, nationally,
and, indeed, all across this globe.
Mr. Speaker, as you well know, and as all Members in this House know,
the energy and manufacturing industries are two of the most critical
and fastest growing sectors both domestically as well as
internationally. The potential of these two sectors can help bolster
the American economy and are also vital to the growing number of people
seeking middle class status all across the developing world.
It is important, Mr. Speaker, that we equip our citizens, those who
need jobs and those who are out of work, with the skills needed and
necessary to meet this growing demand so that we can tap into these
tremendous opportunities. This very bill before us today will
accomplish that goal.
Why is the 21st century workforce bill so very necessary? Mr.
Speaker, just last week, my office had yet another visiting delegation,
a meeting this time with an energy company out of the great State of
North Carolina, whose representatives informed me that right now,
today, as we stand here in this great Chamber today, they have over
1,000 job openings that they cannot fill because they cannot find
enough qualified skilled workers.
The 21st century workforce bill will address that difficulty and be a
solution to that and many other similar problems all across our
country. In fact, Mr. Speaker, my office has been holding many of these
same types of meetings over the past 4 years with a variety of
different energy and manufacturing industries that are indeed facing
this very same predicament.
At a time when African American and Latino unemployment rates are
still too high, when coal workers throughout Appalachia and beyond are
finding themselves without work, when too many female heads of
household cannot find adequate employment to take care of their
families, and when veterans returning home from defending our Nation
still cannot find a job, it is a travesty and a shame that eager
employers still cannot find the trained workers they need.
Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense jobs bill that will help to match
up trained, qualified candidates with good-paying jobs and careers that
will fit them and their families, help lift up their community, help
strengthen the energy and manufacturing industry, and will bolster the
entire American economy as a whole.
Whether you are a student pursuing your engineering degree at an HBCU
or a single mother taking classes at your neighborhood community
college, this bill seeks to provide additional opportunity to all those
individuals who are out there looking to better themselves and improve
the financial situation for their families.
Mr. Speaker, when this bill becomes law and its provisions are
implemented, it will help out-of-work coal miners retool and retrain
for the jobs of the 21st century. This bill will also help returning
veterans use their skills and use their talents to find employment and
provide a dignified future for their families.
So, Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank my distinguished colleague
from the great State of Michigan, Chairman Upton; my friend from the
great State of Kentucky, Chairman Whitfield; Ranking Member Pallone; my
friend from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson); and all my colleagues on the
Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as those who are on the
Education and the Workforce Committee who helped bring us to this point
today, where we are bringing forward this bill with this focus not only
on underserved communities, such as minorities, women, and veterans,
but also displaced and unemployed coal miners and out-of-work energy
workers in other places.
I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, when this bill ultimately becomes law,
it will go a long way in helping not only communities that look like
the one I represent on the south side of Chicago, but every community
in every district throughout this Nation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I would like to reiterate once again that there were a lot of people
involved in bringing this legislation to the floor. It would not have
happened except for the persistence and commitment of Mr. Rush of
Illinois. So I want to thank him again.
I also want to say that every Member of Congress comes to this floor,
and we talk about regulations and the impact they have on creating
jobs. We talk about uncertainty in tax policies, and we talk about the
ability of America to be competitive in the global workplace. We talk
about a lot of macro issues. But for men and women out there in the
country, like coal miners who are losing jobs because of the policies
of this administration, veterans who have extensive leadership skills
but can't find good jobs, and minorities who are not trained in the
right way, this legislation goes a long way in providing the training
that people need to find a good job.
I urge all Members to support this legislation. I want to thank
everyone who worked for it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1630
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4583, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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