Guest AuthorWhile job growth has remained lackluster during the economic recovery, the construction industry and other highly skilled trades are facing a shortage of qualified workers that threatens the future of the industry.
The construction industry alone will face a shortage of 1.6 million workers by 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Thankfully, Congress took an important step last week toward building a workforce that will address the needs of our economy. On July 9, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 803, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The U.S. Senate passed WIOA on June 26.
The bill passed with the bi-partisan support and Associated Builders and Contractors Florida Gulf Coast Chapter (ABC) would like to commend Congress.
WIOA represents a significant move forward in streamlining and localizing job-training efforts, ensuring that our workforce development system is capable of providing workers with the skills they need, and providing our nation with a workforce that can respond to economic demand.
The bill does this by ensuring that small-business owners have a role in shaping workforce development and job-training programs that fit the needs of the local economy.
The bill also takes an important step in ensuring that grants are available to training programs regardless of labor affiliation. Previously, funding for certain job-training programs was available only to firms associated with labor unions, locking out the 86 percent of employees in the construction industry who choose not to be affiliated with a labor union. By opening up job-training money for all industry-recognized job-training programs, WIOA allows more trainees to access the training they need to be productive members of our workforce.
Along with our member companies, ABC provides quality training programs that combine on-the-job learning along with an up-to-date classroom curriculum. Upon completion, students walk away with a credential that is industry-recognized, nationally portable and highly valuable to employers.
WIOA will help us further these efforts and provide the Tampa Bay economy with the qualified workforce its employers need. This represents a tremendous step forward in bringing much needed reform to our country’s workforce training system and we hope that President Obama signs the bill into law.
Steve Cona III is President and CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors, Florida Gulf Coast Chapter. He can be reached at [email protected]. Column courtesy of Context Florida.
