Time to Contact Your Legislators!

The state budget process is in full swing.  Please contact your legislators to let them know you support youth jobs, career and technical education and sector based job training!

Here’s the WSG Budget chart.

Link to contact your legislators.

What did Governor Baker propose?

The Baker Administration proposed $4 million for a new Learn and Earn initiative which would go through the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund.   They also proposed $9.9 M for YouthWorks, $3.4 M for Connecting Activities, and $3.7 M for One Stop Career Centers.   Due to the increase in the minimum wage, the proposed funding level for Youth Works would result in a net loss of 750 youth jobs this summer unless we can increase this amount!

Please weigh in with House members as soon as you can!  

   

At Last, a Permanent Funding Mechanism for the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund!  

The Workforce Solutions Group is pleased to support the following new bill filed by Senator Ken Donnelly and Representative Joseph Wagner:

SB 1006: An Act to Diversify the Use of the Workforce Training Fund to support the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund.   This bill would allow up to 5% of the Workforce Training Fund (WTF) to be used for pipeline training through the WCTF.  It would also add a 5% match from the state general fund to these funds from employers to support talent pipeline training.

Currently the Workforce Training Fund is capped at $22 million, and all the funds come from employers through a UI assessment.  If the state were to match 5% of this fund at $1.1 million, and $1.1 million came from the existing Training Fund; a total of $2.2 million would be generated each year for the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund.  The Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund supports training partnerships with employers, community colleges and community based training providers to help unemployed and entry level workers get the advanced skills and credentials they need to fill open jobs in our state. Please ask your legislators to co-sponsor this bill and ask them to support it as it moves through the committee process.  We will keep you updated!

 

New Session, New Leadership

House and Senate leaders announced their leadership teams  and committee chairs this month.   Congratulations to the new and renewed appointees; we look forward to working with you!    We welcome the new chairs of the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce:  Senator Jason Lewis and Representative Paul Brodeur.

 

National Skills Coalition Shares State Policies to Promote Skills Equity

 Skills equity policies are state level policies that expand equitable access to middle-skill training, credentials, and careers – particularly for those who have faced barriers to economic opportunity. National Skills Coalition’s skills equity agenda includes policies on Job- Driven Financial Aid, SNAP E&T, Stackable Credentials, Alignment, Integrated Education and Training, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Employment and Training.

http://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/state-policy/skills-equity