Higher Ed Utah

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing this week, “A Stronger Workforce Investment System for a Stronger Economy,” that focused on the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). During the hearing, Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) stated that Congress would pass the reauthorization of WIA this year.

Witnesses, including Anthony Carnevale, Director of Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, and Robert Templin, President of Virginia Community College, pressed the committee to provide the resources and services needed to enable individuals to earn credentials or degrees – the ticket to career entry and advancement. Carnevale said that the Obama Administration has provided a “strong start” in aligning the Department of Labor and the Department of Education by asking for a set aside of $261 million to break down program silos and create Workforce Innovation Partnerships. Templin echoed Carnevale’s emphasis on postsecondary training, adding that such programs must prepare students with a broad educational and training base on which they may build.