New legislation could answer the call for more effective
state employment training.
If you've wondered how to make your state's employment
training programs more responsive to your business's needs, a
new law may be your answer.
Called the Workforce Investment Act, the legislation puts a
number of new provisions into place, including: 1) allowing states
(if they choose) to allocate a portion of federal training funds to
underwrite skills-upgrading for employed individuals; 2)
establishing employer loan funds to help finance worker skill
improvements; and 3) the centerpiece of the new system: creating
work-force investment boards--new mechanisms for employer input on
government-funded training programs. Now instead of grumbling about
spending money to provide the unemployed with obsolete training,
business owners identify specific current and future industry
sectors needing employees and make sure people have the skills and
training needed for those jobs.
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How can you get involved? Volunteer as a member of a state or
local work-force development board. State boards help governors
establish local boards whose key responsibility will be oversight
of employment training service providers.
State board members are appointed by the states' governors
and should be in place by early 2000. Call your governor's
office if you're interested in serving on a local or statewide
board.
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