[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 61 (Monday, April 16, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H3330]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INVEST IN AMERICAN WORKERS
(Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI asked and was given permission to address the
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, according to the Aspen Institute,
from 1996 to 2008, the percentages of American workers receiving
employer-sponsored training, on-the-job training, as it were, has
fallen by 40 percent.
With a growing skills gap, and American businesses unable to fill 6.3
million jobs due to a lack of qualified candidates, it is imperative
that Congress incentivizes investments in worker training. That is why
I introduced the Investing in American Workers Act last Friday.
This forward-thinking legislation provides a 20 percent tax credit to
small and midsized companies that increase their investments in worker
training over a given year. Eligible programs include apprenticeships,
specialized community college courses, and those offered by employers
or industry associations. This is a win-win for American employers and
employees, helping American companies compete globally and helping
workers obtain higher wages and long-term job security.
Our workforce is the foundation of our economy, and we cannot ignore
the consequences of failing, as a country, to invest in American
workers.
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