Congress should pass the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) with flexibility for states, according to Gov. Kay Ivey and 17 other Republican governors.
The State Flexibility Pilot Authority in the WIOA legislation would allow five states to receive certain workforce funding from the law as grants for five years.
Ivey and the governors said in a letter to congressional leadership last week, “As governors, we urge Congress to pass the bipartisan Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act reauthorization bill this year, with the inclusion of the State Flexibility Pilot Authority. This provision is critical for empowering all states to innovate and reform our workforce systems to more effectively serve unemployed Americans.”
“With enhanced flexibility, states could alleviate the administrative disconnect between state-run safety net programs and local workforce services, even though these programs are meant to serve the same individuals. Without the ability to streamline these services, states will continue to face barriers in developing innovative workforce solutions that effectively serve low-income individuals who have been left on the economic sidelines for too long,” Ivey and the governors said.
The WIOA of 2014 amended the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 in an attempt to strengthen the United States workforce development system through innovation in, and alignment and improvement of, employment, training, and education programs.
“As governors, we are fully committed to strengthening our workforce systems, but we need Congress to act to give states the flexibility to realize this vision. We urge you in the strongest possible terms to keep the State Flexibility Pilot Authority in the final WIOA reauthorization and pass this critical legislation. The current workforce status quo is not working for our citizens or our businesses. The State Flexibility Pilot Authority is an essential first step toward giving all states the tools to expand economic mobility and opportunity for every American,” the governors said.
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