Ohio Workforce Coalition

• Extending eligibility to trade-impacted service and public sector workers (previous law had largely restricted eligibility to manufacturing workers);
• Expanding the types of training allowed under the program, including prerequisite and part-time training courses;
• Increasing state formula funds for training services from about $220 million per year to $575 million per year; and
• Establishing a series of grant programs to support economic and workforce development activities in trade-impacted communities and to expanded training capacity at community colleges and other institutions of higher education.

These improvements have been crucial to the program—42 percent of workers currently covered by TAA qualify for the program due to the 2009 amendments, and an estimated 155,000 dislocated workers who otherwise would not have been eligible have received benefits and services under the program. Reflecting the surging demand for skills training and work supports in the wake of rapidly escalating job loss across the country, a record 97,888 TAA participants enrolled in training in Fiscal Year 2010 (compared to 57,949 in FY 2009 and 37,753 in FY 2008).

Congress passed a temporary extension of the law extending the Recovery Act amendments through February 12, 2011. Unfortunately, due to a drafting error in the final bill, if Congress fails to act before the current extension expires, the entire TAA for Workers program will be eliminated—not just the expanded benefits and eligibility. If this is allowed to happen, it will severely limit access to occupational training and education for trade-impacted workers at a time when—despite continued record-high unemployment—U.S. businesses often struggle to find workers with the skills they need to support our nation’s still fragile economic recovery.

We need you to weigh in with your lawmakers today. Please click here to send them a letter urging them to support a long-term extension of TAA.