On May 13, the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a hearing titled, "WIOA Reauthorization: Creating Opportunities for Youth Employment" to highlight the need to create and improve youth employment opportunities.
This was the first in a series of hearings the Committee has announced it will hold related to reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), last updated in 2014.
Broadly, the bipartisan subcommittee members emphasized the positive benefits of work-based learning programs. Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) asked Chekemma Fulmore-Townsend of Philadelphia Youth Network about the benefits of internships and apprenticeships. Fulmore-Townsend noted that work-based learning can expand social capital for youth, help them give back to their communities and inspire them to realize their potentials. Fielding a question from Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), she also elaborated that young people in Philadelphia CTE programs are supported through the WorkReady summer program, and that students are connected to the industries that they are studying through programs like WorkReady.
Businesses have also struggled with the impact of COVID-19 on workforce development. Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC) spoke with Deb Lindner of North Carolina-based Precor about her company’s hiring challenges and partnerships during the pandemic. Lindner said that her business is trying to recover, but they have had to restart programs with their partners because of downsizing and furloughs within the company. Lindner also emphasized the benefits of short-term Pell Grants.
Several Members of Congress also spoke with the witnesses about taxpayer support of workforce development programs, the costs and benefits of postsecondary education and student support efforts within their organizations. You can watch the full subcommittee hearing here.
As more information surrounding WIOA reauthorization becomes available, CTE Policy Watch will have the details.
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