This week, Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta again went before congressional appropriators to defend the Trump budget request for federal employment and training services. Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO) expressed doubts about the budget request, specifically citing the 40 percent reduction to state formula grants under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). “I am concerned that reducing funding so much and so suddenly from worker training could further jeopardize our workforce development system, contribute to increasing problems that might hinder individuals and businesses, and have a negative impact on the economy,” said Blunt. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), the committee’s ranking Democrat, went even further and described the president’s budget as “indefensible” and “deeply harmful” for American workers. She noted that the proposed cuts would result in 9 million individuals, including displaced workers and veterans, would lose access to training services. Acosta argued that the budget proposal is intended to streamline workforce training programs that are duplicative and provide overlapping services. However, Sen. Murray noted that WIOA, which was passed by Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support only three years ago, has already streamlined programs and eliminated areas of duplication within the workforce training system.
Sec. Acosta touted the Administration’s recent Executive Order on apprenticeships. While a supporter of apprenticeships, Sen. Murray expressed her concern that the plan to promote industry-recognized apprenticeships would loosen existing standards and quality controls under the register apprenticeship system. Additionally, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) pushed Acosta to clarify that industries that have already widely adopted apprenticeships to train workers, including the construction and building trades, would not be excluded based on a provision in the order that would allow the department to deny the expedited and streamlined registration “in any sector in which Department of Labor registered apprenticeship programs are already effective and substantially widespread.” Though pressed by multiple members of the committee, Acosta was vague on the Administration’s position on the issue.
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