Thomas Daschle: “the time has come for the Senate to take appropriate steps to ensure that our work force is equipped to meet the…”

“the time has come for the Senate to take appropriate steps to ensure that our work force is equipped to meet the challenges we will face in the next century. Today, high-skill, high-wage jobs are being created faster than they can be filled. This is not because of a labor shortage. Instead we are suffering from a ``skill shortage.'' Not enough workers in this country possess the skills necessary to fill these jobs. In order to keep our economy strong and growing, our people must receive the education and training they need to become productive employees in the 21st century. The Workforce Investment Partnership Act of 1997 (WIPA) is the first step in providing the education and training job seekers need to compete for high-wage jobs. This bill would consolidate many narrowly-focused federal vocational education, adult education and job training programs that currently provide a disjointed approach to job training and job placement. Through the establishment of ``one-stop'' customer service centers, job seekers will have a central point of entry to job training programs.”