Congressman Taylor Introduces Bill to Expand Career Development Opportunities for Youth
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Dave Taylor (OH-02) today introduced the Workforce Flexibility Act, which will amend and improve the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and empower local communities to connect more young people between the ages of 14 to 24 with high-quality career training.
“I’m laser-focused on bringing well-paying jobs to southern Ohio, and part of that is ensuring young people have access to workforce development programs that will equip them to excel in these roles,” said Congressman Taylor. “When considering our federal workforce development programs, Congress must regularly ask how we can most effectively reach the greatest number of students. In this case, we can improve the current system by giving more flexibility to Local Workforce Development Boards who best know what their communities need. By doing this, the Workforce Flexibility Act will allow more young people to access high-quality career pathway programs.”
“The Air Conditioning Contractors of America appreciates Congressman Taylor’s leadership in promoting a skilled workforce by introducing the Workforce Flexibility Act. This legislation seeks to provide state workforce boards with greater flexibility in allocating their limited WIOA resources. ACCA supports this approach because we understand how unique the challenges facing each state’s labor force are,” said President and CEO Barton James of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America.
“The University applauds Congressman Taylor’s Workforce Flexibility Act and looks forward to working with Congress to ensure that WIOA and other federal efforts are supporting innovative efforts in workforce development that engage institutions of higher education, particularly four-year institutions,” said Michelle Clare, Dean of Co-operative Education and Professional Studies and Vice Provost for Continuing Education at the University of Cincinnati.
“The Workforce Flexibility Act empowers states and local leaders to direct workforce resources where they’re most needed,” said Kristen Swearingen, Vice President of Government Affairs at the Associated Builders and Contractors. “ABC is proud to support this commonsense solution to help America's youth access high-quality training and pursue strong career pathways in the construction industry.”
“The Workforce Flexibility Act is a practical solution that empowers states to better serve young people. This bill ensures communities can direct resources where they’re needed most by expanding access, increasing participation, and helping more youth gain the skills required for today’s workforce,” said LeAnn Curry, Executive Director of ACTE. “This flexibility will strengthen local economies and connect more young people to meaningful career pathways. We thank Congressman Taylor for his leadership on this important issue and look forward to seeing its advancement.”
“NECA is proud to support Rep. Taylor’s Workforce Flexibility Act, which empowers states to reallocate workforce funds to proven training programs and expands early access to pre-apprenticeship and technical education. By strengthening the pipeline of skilled electricians and other electrical professionals, this legislation will help close the skills gap and support the long-term growth of our industry,” said Marco Giamberardino, Senior Vice President of Government and Public Affairs of the National Electrical Contractors Association
Background
Currently, Title I of WIOA, which governs the federal government’s youth workforce development programs, mandates that Local Workforce Development Boards spend at least 75% of funding on Out-of-School Youth (OSY), leaving the remaining <25% to be spent on In-School Youth (ISY). However, this federal one-size-fits-all spending mandate doesn’t work for all communities.
Underscoring a bipartisan recognition that the mandate is too rigid, 29 states or territories, from California to Ohio, currently have waivers. It’s evident that the current WIOA funding structure is no longer working for communities across America and must be reformed to reach the young people it was designed to serve.
In rural areas like southern Ohio where the population is spread out, it often makes more sense to focus workforce development at a central location, like schools. This would allow federal dollars to go further and reach more students. Amending WIOA requirements through the Workforce Flexibility Act would ensure Local Workforce Development Boards are empowered to best tailor their workforce development programs to suit their communities and reach more youths where they are.
The full bill text for the Workforce Flexibility Act is available here.