TWA Releases White Paper, Announces Recovery to Reauthorization, a new time-limited series from The Workforce Alliance tracking how Recovery Act efforts could help drive a lasting transformation of our federal workforce and educations systems if these efforts receive long-term federal support through the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act.
Initial Details Released on Recovery Act’s Green Job Training Grants - On May 15th, the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration released a
Training and Employment Notice annoucing details about the $500 million in competitive grants for training workers for green jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors that was included as part of the Recovery Act. For more information, download TWA's
summary of competitive grant programs for green jobs that are under consideration by DOL.
On May 7th, the Obama Administration released its Fiscal Year 2010 budget request. Read TWA’s special
Budget Edition Washington Update to learn how the budget request will impact the Departments of Labor and Education, and download TWA’s job training and education budget request
chart.
TWA Releases New State WIA Plan Recommendations
The Recovery Act represents the most significant investment in our nation’s public workforce system in more than a decade. To ensure that the transformative vision articulated in that legislation is translated into practice, TWA has released a set of
recommendations for WIA state plan modifications designed to make effective and efficient use of recovery dollars.
Legislation to grow local industries by investing in local people was introduced on April 1st by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and Patty Murray (D-WA). The Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success (
SECTORS) Act was developed in collaboration with The Workforce Alliance and other experts in the workforce field. Congressmen Dave Loebsack (D-IA) and Todd Platts (R-PA) introduced a companion bill in the House. Read TWA’s
press release and statements from
Sen Brown,
Sen Snowe, and
Rep Loebsack.
The Brookings Institution held a briefing on The Future of Middle-Skill Jobs—those jobs that require more then high school, but less then a four-year degree—on February 26th.
Watch as TWA Executive Director Andy Van Kleunen discusses the economic recovery and how the 3 Ps—sector
partnerships, career
pathways, and
proportionate investment—can be used to help achieve President Obama’s call for a one-year skills commitment for all Americans.
TWA convened a panel of experts to talk about state implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on February 24th.
Watch as leaders from two state workforce systems and a community college discuss what their states and education and training providers did to get ready for recovery legislation and what they are doing now to best utilize these funds. For more information on how the recovery legislation will impact your state or program, visit TWA’s new
recovery webpage.
Sector Partnerships, Career Pathways, and Proportionate Investment. State Leaders took the
"3 P's" to the Hill at The Workforce Alliance's annual Summit held February 23-25, in Washington, DC. Business leaders, unions, educators and public officials from 26 states called on federal officials to embrace a three-part skills strategy for the nation. State coalitions met with over 150 Members of Congress and the U.S. Department of Labor to call on leaders to embrace a 21st-century vision and strategy for investing in middle-skills as a core component of the nation's economic strategy. 
Amidst the recession, investments in training more important then ever Watch coverage of workforce training in the news.
TWA Calls on Congress to Keep Investments in Job 
Training in the Recovery Act. As the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act went to Conference, The Workforce Alliance led national groups in submitting recommendations to both the House and Senate urging conferees to keep funding for job training and education in the final legislation. Throughout the legislative process, TWA helped ensure that workforce development—a critical component of job creation—was part of the economic recovery conversation. Download TWA's Economic Recovery and Reinvestment packet. Listen as TWA Executive Director Andy Van Kleunen discusses TWA’s call for training dollars in the recovery bill.
TWA announces the release of its new national Skills Strategy, a framework created by TWA’s newly developing Leadership Council to sketch out initial steps that President–Elect Obama and the 111th Congress can take, across a range of federal policies, in pursuit of TWA's vision of a new 21st-century skills guarantee.
Read TWA's Stimulus Edition Washington Update which highlights some of the items likely to be included in any economic recovery bill, including significant investments in infrastructure as well as additional funding for workforce development and social services.
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