Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12) has introduced the Gateway to Careers Act in the US House of Representatives with co-leads Representatives David Scott, Ilhan Omar, Antonio Delgado, and Raja Krishnamoorthi. The bill will create a career pathway grant program for community college and career and technical education (CTE) students.
Text of the bill is available here.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has forever altered our workforce. We’ve expanded our workforce virtually, giving employers and employees options to look further afield for new, diverse talent. However, an increasing number of jobs in the U.S. require some type of postsecondary education or training, and we’re not doing enough to make sure that our workforce is ready for these jobs. Furthermore, structural barriers like housing, food insecurity, childcare, and transportation exclude many skilled people – disproportionately women – from our nation’s workforce,” said Congresswoman Adams. “That’s why I introduced the Gateway to Careers Act with my colleagues. The Gateway to Careers Act would create a career pathway grant program for community college and career and technical education (CTE) students. It would encourage partnerships between community or technical colleges and workforce development partners such as state workforce development boards, industry associations, and community-based organizations. I’m committed to passing the Gateway to Careers Act to provide more people with a pathway to their highest, best purpose in work and in life.”
“The future of metro Atlanta and communities across the country depend on a thriving middle class, and the technical education programs offered by community colleges are a low-cost, proven path to that economic stability,” said Congressman David Scott (GA-13). “Our Gateway to Careers Act will create a needed pipeline for hardworking and skilled young professionals to enter high paying trade and vocational jobs while providing businesses with an untapped pool of talent. I am pleased to co-lead this legislation, which represents a meaningful step to close the unemployment gap and meet the rising demand post-COVID-19 for a highly modernized and technical workforce.”
“I’m proud to co-lead the Gateway to Careers Act to create a grant program for career pathway programs for community college as well as career and technical education students,” Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) said. “An investment in our students is an investment in our workforce, and that investment rises up to businesses and their contributions to our nation’s economy. As we recover from this pandemic, we need to invest in students and workers to help our whole economy thrive.”
“It is imperative that our young people have the skills needed for technical education to fill jobs and grow our upstate economy. However, the need for social services including child care, health care coverage, and transportation—urgent needs in our rural communities—too often force young people out of these valuable training programs,” said Rep. Antonio Delgado (NY-19), an original cosponsor of the bill in the 116th Congress. “The Gateway to Careers Act will help to infuse workforce development programs with social services to help individuals find and keep jobs. Enabling more students to access career pathway programs and ensuring every young person has the skills needed to make it in America is vital for the future of our economy.”
“The economy may be doing well for millionaires and billionaires, but millions of Americans are struggling to afford basic necessities like housing, healthcare, and higher education,” said Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05), an original cosponsor of the bill in the 116th Congress. “We need to be connect working people directly to services like childcare, housing, transportation and job training. I am proud to support the Gateway Careers Act to do just that.”
H.R. 6723, the Gateway to Careers Act, would strengthen job training by supporting workforce programs at community and technical colleges. It will remove barriers that prevent people from entering or remaining in the workforce by connecting them to the services they need to participate in the workforce. The goal of this legislation is to help workers improve their ability to compete for good jobs in the 21st Century economy, while providing businesses the workforce they need to thrive.
Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., serves on the Education and Labor Committee in the United States House of Representatives, where she serves as Chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee.
###
Credit: Source link
