You are probably asking yourself “say what”?  How can my elected representative be in the workplace learning business?  More and more, state governments are involved in allocating state resources for worker training, retraining and tax credits to incentivize businesses to expand, grow and keep workers in their states.  Elected representative are responsible for appropriating state revenue in these areas.

States like Texas and Florida have grant programs designed to “up skill” current workers.  Employers can apply (information is on their state workforce sites) for these funds, and these are annual appropriations.  So, every year there is another pot of money to apply for. Some states, like Virginia, have a Jobs Investment program.  This program, like others across the country, use training funds as an economic incentive for companies to relocate to the state. Other states, like Georgia, have a tax-credit program, for specific certification and training programs, for current workers of the state.  These aren’t grants, but are tax credits to the company (your accounting team will like these!).

So, who do you think is advising these elected officials on what programs, skills or training is needed by employers?  What information can they use to know if these investments are really meeting the skill needs of employers in their state? How much should they invest in these programs (is more actually better?).

This is an opportunity to engage with your state legislature.  You should be able to track state legislation on your state assembly’s website.  This information is open to the public, and usually by keyword search you can find workforce training bills and worker training appropriations information.

Then you should engage in a conversation with your representatives and offer your training expertise to advise them on these investments.  Maybe your local ASTD chapter can help you in this effort?

As a reminder, if you coming to ICE, join us on Capitol Hill to meet with you member of Congress.  Email press@astd.org to sign up.

See you in DC!

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Categories: Public Policy

ASTD going to Capitol Hill during ICE.  Come and join the group!

Interested in learning more about the training and workforce development issues that are discussed on Capitol Hill? Join ASTD for a special opportunity called Congressional Conversations to connect with U.S. legislators during the ASTD 2009 International Conference & Exposition on Wednesday morning, June 3.
 
This is an opportunity to schedule meetings with your Senator or Representative’s office in Congress to introduce yourself and talk about the training and workforce development issues that are important to the learning and development profession. ASTD will provide you with a template letter to request an appointment with your elected official’s office during our trip to Capitol Hill, as well as talking points that you can use during your conversation with your elected official or his or her staff member.
 
The Congressional Conversations special event is free, but pre-registration is required by sending an email to: press@astd.org with your full contact information by Friday, May 8. You must be registered for the ASTD 2009 International Conference & Exposition to attend this event.
 
Scheduling note: If you plan to sign up for Congressional Conversations, there will be an orientation conference call during the last week of May, and an in-person orientation on Sunday, May 31, from 9:45 to 11:00 a.m. in room 156 of the Washington Convention Center. During these orientations, we will walk you through what will happen during the visit, talking points you can use, and what you can expect during your appointment.

Logistics for the event: Our group will meet in room 156 of the Washington Convention Center at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3 and leave by shuttle bus at approximately 9:30 a.m. We will return to the Convention Center between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m. There will be an optional debrief session about the Capitol Hill event from 1:15 to 2:45 p.m. in room 156.

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Categories: Public Policy

The Obama administration this past week announced its’ nominee for the very important position of the Assistant Secretary for the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor (DOL).   This person will oversee the publicly funded workforce system outlined in the workforce investment act (WIA) and other employment and training programs run by DOL.  This is a critical time for ETA, as the additional $4 billion in WIA funds in the stimulus package are currently allocated to states, directed to be spent “quickly” to get Americans back to work.  An additional $750 million will soon be allocated through a competitive grant process to promote green jobs, and unemployment benefits (UI) are in the midst of major change. Who has the administration selected to lead? 

The administration has nominated Jane Oates.  Oates currently serves as the Executive Director of the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and Senior Policy Advisor to the Governor.   She has been in that role since 2006 and has been working on making partnerships within the education, workforce and the business community.  Prior to this position, Oates served for many years on the staff of Senator Edward Kennedy, as a Senior Policy Advisor for education and workforce development. 

If confirmed, we at ASTD welcome the opportunity to work with her and her team as the country moves forward with national and regional training strategies and initiatives.  Although Workforce Innovations was canceled this year, we look forward to assisting ETA when the conference is rescheduled, hopefully next year. ASTD also hopes we can be a resource to Oates and her team, for important information and research on current best practices and information in training and performance.

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Categories: Public Policy

This past week, the Department of Labor (DOL) released over $4 billion in worker training funds to the states as part of the America’s Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRC).  By law, states have 30 days to allocate these funds to local workforce boards (WIBs). So sometime over the next month, your local WIB will be receiving, in some cases, millions of dollars for worker training.  Will you be calling?
These funds are designed to help (in part) unemployed workers get back to work; however, the funds can be used in many ways.  Some of these ways could supplement your current training budgets and perhaps even double your current investment, in some cases.
Here are some of the ways funds are supposed to be used:

1. Individual training accounts:  Job seekers who qualify can use these funds for a training program of choice (selected by their local WIB).

2. Customized training: Can be used to meet a specific training requirement by an individual employer or group. The employer or group pays no less than 50% of the training costs.

3. On the job training: Can be used in conjunction with an employer to provide up to 50% of the training for employees on the job.  Some requirements do apply.

4. Contract with an institution of higher education or training provider:  Funds can be used to contract with a training provider for training to a large group of individuals needed in a specific industry.

5. Contract with community based organization: Funds can be used for contracting with community based groups for training.

6. Registered apprenticeship programs: Funds can be used to support pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs.

This is a great opportunity to connect and get involved locally with your WIB.  If you are on your local ASTD Chapter Board, offer to help your local WIB in planning how to use these additional funds.
The money is NOW available, will you be calling?

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Categories: Public Policy

Show Me the MONEY!

Everyone remembers that great line in the “Jerry Maguire” movie.  It was when Rod Tidwell asked Jerry to scream that line into the phone to keep him as a client.  Now is the time that you need to be Rod Tidwell and ask your state and local government about the training money in the stimulus package.  Show me the MONEY! Let me explain.

In the stimulus package, (America Recovery and Reinvestment Act) nearly $4 billion in Department of Labor (DOL) funds will be given to states and local workforce boards to spend on training to “get people back to work”.  These funds, by law, were to be allocated to states within 30 days of the bill signing; and within 30 days later, they have to be allocated to local workforce investment boards (WIBs).  These funds are allocated the same way as previous WIA funds have by mandated funding formulas (many factors go into how much each state and local area gets). Other funds from DOL will be allocated in grants.  It hasn’t been announced yet how to apply for these grants.  Not much change in this appropriation this time.

As part of the appropriation, each state governor can keep 15% of state allocations for “discretionary spending”.  In some states, this could be a whole bunch of money!  Governors are supposed to spend these funds on training, and I would suggest that you call you governor’s office and say “Show me the MONEY!”  Ask the office what training and development programs they plan to spend it on and offer your help in the planning.

After an additional 10% of these appropriations stays within state governments for “administration” of the WIA program, the balance of the funds will go to local governments (WIBs). An additional 10% of those remaining funds will also stay in local government to “administer” the WIA program locally.  After that, the balance of the money will go to training!

This would be a good time to reach out to your local WIB executive director or President and ask them to “Show me the MONEY!”  Ask them where and how they will spend their money in training and development, and offer to help!

The best way to get America back to work is to spend this money quickly and appropriately on the skills needed in the workplace today; ASTD members are the BEST to advise the government, at all levels, on how exactly to do that.  Good luck!

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Categories: Public Policy

The massive $787 billion dollar stimulus package (HR 1) was signed in February by the President.  The bill is designed, in part, to stimulate the economy and to create millions of jobs across the US.

As WLP professionals, what should you know about this bill; and what can you do to help your organization take advantage of and be supporting these opportunities?  The bill will invest heavily into new technologies, infrastructure projects and health care.  It will also invest in helping laid off workers get back to work.  Also, there will be investment in training within high growth industries via grants.

You will find training resources included with many of these initiatives. In one case, the bill would like to “better green” government buildings; and this investment includes $100 million in training to support those projects.

But, the bulk of the training funds will be allocated through the publicly funded workforce system (Workforce Investment Act funding).  You can access information about how much of these resources are coming to your communities by reaching out to your local Workforce Board executive director or the manager of you local One-Stop Career Center.

As far as the grants go, if history repeats itself, these grants ($750 million), will require active private sector participation with either community colleges or higher education institutions.  It would be a good idea to reach out to those leaders in those institutions to see if you can partner on an upcoming grant.  Stay tuned to the Department of Labor site for more information about these grants.

So, this is a great opportunity for the WLP profession to engage in the economic recovery efforts, help your organizations and your communities make the most of their investments in training and development, and do what we do best to help get the country back to work!

Would you like to meet with your member of Congress while at ICE?  Stay tuned for more information about our Congressional Conversations program.

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Categories: News | Public Policy

This past week I watched, via my computer, the Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness subcommittee hearing on the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act.  That’s a real mouthful; but, you should see the bill! 

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA), authorized originally in 1998, has been up for reauthorization the last five congresses.  Since the Democrats now control both houses of Congress and the White House, feelings are that something will happen this year (hopefully).

The committee heard from a panel who were witnesses from local WIBs, members of the Unions and the US Chamber of Commerce.  Each was given (as most witnesses) a few minutes to make their case on what should be included in the new bill from their perspective.  Afterwards, members of the House committee are given five minutes each to question the witnesses.

What amazed me was that no member of Congress, and there were about 15 or so who questioned the committee, had any questions for the representative from the US Chamber.  What has been lacking, by all realistic accounts of WIA, is the involvement of the private sector; so, why not ask what their needs are?  It makes you wonder what will be in the new bill.

What would you like to see in the new WIA bill, as a WLP professional?  Now would be a good time to speak to your member of Congress about your firm’s priorities in the legislation that will affect the public workforce system in the biggest way. Or, feel free to respond here with your thoughts on WIA reauthorization.

Would you like to meet with you member of Congress during ICE?  Stay tuned for more information.

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Categories: Public Policy

Stimulus, stimulus, stimulus…...

That is all you hear on about Capitol Hill these days. It is consuming all the space in the newspapers, on TV and online. It looks like there will be billions spent to try to get the economy kick started.  Though both versions of the stimulus bill (Senate and House) are different, there will probably be money in the final bill for worker training in some capacity.

The House version of the bill has more money for worker training through the WIA funding formulas.  Some of those funds are for youth.  The House version also has billions for education, including an expansion of Pell Grants.  The Senate version has more tax cuts than the House, so we will have to see what comes out of the conference committee meetings.

There are over 100 bills in both the Senate and the House introduced this year that have some type of training component.  Many of those bills are for the creation of “green jobs” and to ensure workers have skills in new green industries.  There are also a few bills that contain expanded use of e-learning within publicly funded worker training programs.  Some bills have expanded training for veterans and for nursing training programs.

What can you do?  Well, you can contact you local member of Congress and give them your feedback on the current set of bills that include training. Discuss your industry needs for skilled workers.  Plus, at ICE this year, you will have the opportunity to meet and discuss current policy issues with your member of Congress.  Stay tuned for more information. 

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Categories: Public Policy

The ASTD Policy Blog is maintained by ASTD’s Government Relations Department, and the purpose of this blog is two-fold:

1. To educate and inform members of the workplace learning and performance (WLP) profession on federal and state policies and trends that impact job training and learning.

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Categories: Public Policy