Jay Rockefeller: “giving American workers the opportunity to get the education and training they need to effectively compete in our modern…”

“giving American workers the opportunity to get the education and training they need to effectively compete in our modern workplace and highly competitive economy must be a priority. That is why I am joining Senator Daschle in introducing S. 6, the Working Americans Opportunity Act, and I commend him and my other colleagues involved in developing this important initiative. While there are numerous Federal training programs in existence, there also are some valid questions about how effective these efforts are. It is time to deal with these questions and make the changes necessary to ensure that our programs work more efficiently and effectively, both for the participants and the American taxpayers who are footing the bills. The Working Americans Opportunity Act is an important step in the right direction to improve our Federal training programs. This effort is designed to streamline existing Federal training programs and give participants more say over their job search process and training. The bill also proposes a critically needed investment in a 'national labor market information system' so people can get their hands on current information that will tell them what fields offer real job opportunities. The bill promotes 'one-stop career centers' to help Americans sort through training and career information in one place so they can make more organized decisions about their future.”