Nancy Kassebaum: “I opposed the School-to-Work Opportunities Act when it was considered by the Senate because it will create yet another…”

“I opposed the School-to-Work Opportunities Act when it was considered by the Senate because it will create yet another job training program at a time when we should be reforming the 154 job training programs we already have. I will vote against the conference report on this bill for the same reason. Having said that, I do want to acknowledge particularly the efforts of Senator Kennedy, Senator Thurmond, Senator Simon, and their staffs in working on the conference bill. I appreciate the courtesy and cooperation of everyone involved. When this bill was debated in the Senate, supporters stated repeatedly that it did not create a new program. Instead, they contended the legislation would encourage coordination of existing programs under the school-to-work umbrella. I share the goal of creating a better integrated system to improve the transition from school to work, and I wish this bill did that. But it doesn't. The bill creates yet another stand-alone job training program, with a separate authorization, a separate pool of funds, and a separate string of eligibility requirements. Despite my objections to this legislation, I do appreciate the efforts of the conferees to retain provisions which I believe do offer more flexibility to States and localities to integrate existing programs. For example, there is not longer a mandatory requirement that all programs must provide paid work opportunities to all students.”