From the National Skills Coalition at 3:56pm:
“Just found out that the SECTORS Act just passed the House. Now it moves to the Senate.”
Check back for information on how you can support the SECTORS Act in the Senate.
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From the National Skills Coalition today (7-19-10)
Victory in the House: SECTORS Act Passes with Bi-partisan Support
This afternoon the U.S. House of Representatives passed the SECTORS Act (HR 1855) on a unanimous voice vote demonstrating that investing in the skills of America’s workers and industries is an issue that cuts across party lines. Read National Skills Coalition’s analysis of this legislation.
House Leadership fast-tracked the SECTORS Act as part of on-going efforts to promote and support our nation’s economic recovery. Members on both sides of the aisle recognize the need to address skill mismatches in the labor market, such as those highlighted in a recent New York Times article about businesses that are ready to hire but can’t find workers with the right technical skills amidst a 9.5 percent unemployment rate. With strong bi-partisan support for the measure the bill was placed on the suspension calendar, which allowed it to bypass committee, but required a two-thirds vote on the House floor.
The SECTORS Act was developed by National Skills Coalition with state and national partners, and lead sponsors Representatives Loebsack (D-IA) and Platts (R-PA) in the House and Senators Brown (D-OH), Murray (D-WA) and Snowe (R-ME) in the Senate. Co-sponsored by 20 Representatives and 6 Senators, and endorsed by 168 organizations including 75 employers, the bill allows businesses, unions, the public workforce system, and education and training providers to develop and implement plans that target job training at the current and anticipated skill needs of industries within a geographic region. An independent evaluation of these programs being released by Public/Private Ventures tomorrow shows strong outcomes for workers participating in these programs.
In the coming weeks we will ask you to weigh in with your Senators and local media — to get the word out that moving this bill through the Senate is a crucial part of economic recovery. In the meantime, please take a moment to thank your Representative for their support of this important bill.
• Mary Jo Kilroy – (202) 225-2015 – http://www.kilroy.house.gov/Contact/index.shtml
Thank you to all of our members across the country—employers, unions, colleges, community based organizations, and public workforce agencies— who helped to develop and move this vital piece of legislation forward.