Archives for Workforce & Government

Courtesy of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Workforce Development Council WEEKLY NEWSLETTER – April 15, 2024 “On Tuesday, April 9, 2024, the House passed the bipartisan legislation A Stronger Workforce for America Act (ASWA – HR 6655), which reauthorizes the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). “The bill passed on a vote of 378-26 with 26 Republicans voting against it and all Democrats voting in favor. The legislation’s future in the Senate is still unclear, as top Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee members have other legislative priorities to tackle. House Education and the Workforce Committee Chair Virginia
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On this last day of Black History Month 2024, KRA is pleased to share an article, written by Frank McGriggs, Southeast Deputy Regional Administrator, USDOL Wage and Hour Division, which the Department posted on its Blog Page recently. Mr. McGriggs writes, “My work and the work of my colleagues at the Wage and Hour Division is to protect vulnerable workers from violations of some of their most fundamental workplace rights, like minimum wage, overtime, and job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. “Every day, and especially as I reflect on Black History Month, I draw inspiration from the
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On December 7, 2023, House Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Robert Scott (D-VA) and Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) introduced H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act, supported by House Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee leaders Burgess Owens (R-UT), Frederica Wilson (D-FL). By December 11, 2023, both the House and Senate chambers of the 118th Congress had passed the new reauthorization bill, which is now on President Biden’s desk, where we anticipate a favorable reception and response.  As for funding, the Congressional Budget Office, which produces cost estimates for bills and resolutions, had not produced an estimate
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As we continue to raise awareness during the month of October by honoring Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM), we are thrilled to share one of the latest’s podcasts from KRA’s THE HUB, featuring Jade Gingerich, Director of Employment Policy at the Maryland Department of Disabilities. Episode 18 provides an insightful discussion on disability employment, during which Ms. Gingerich provides background on her agency’s mission to improve coordination of services and promote equal opportunity for people with disabilities, outlining key state initiatives including eliminating subminimum wages. She stresses the importance of changing expectations around disability and work, customized employment approaches, and
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A reprint: Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy If it’s October, it’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This year, there are a number of new resources available to help employers and employees participate in this annual celebration of the skills and talents people with disabilities add to America’s workplaces and economy. To start, the official 2023 NDEAM poster is available for download and mail order. Illustrating this year’s NDEAM theme, “Advancing Access and Equity,” the poster conveys the importance of ensuring disabled people have equal opportunity to prepare for and succeed in employment.
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Last month the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, which funds KRA’s Workforce Board client-partners for the provision of WIOA services, convened ETA Vision 2030, focused on how and why the workforce system is the “team that will change America”, supporting President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda. The Convening provided a unique opportunity for 500+ private-, public-, and non-profit workforce stakeholders to collaborate on how, in partnership, to create strategic plans that meet the needs of the future, improving life for all individuals and communities across the country. These 5 ETA Vision 2030 Takeaways are pivotal to ensuring
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White House Announces $40 Billion ARPA Investment in Our Workforce Earlier this month, the White House Summit on the American Rescue Plan and the Workforce announced $40 Billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to  expand and strengthen our workforce, providing underserved Americans, and those with severe barriers to employment, with career pathways for securing good-paying jobs. Decades of operating One-Stop Career/American Job Centers and TANF Employment Programs has equipped KRA with the experience and expertise required to support programs related to the three major areas of ARPA investment addressed during the Summit: Building a Diverse and Skilled Infrastructure
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On March 15, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, which provides funding to launch new education- and workforce-related initiatives, to increase funding levels for many existing programs, and to expand economic support for low-income and traditionally underserved communities. For 40+ years, as a National Leader in Workforce Development, KRA has provided critical services—i.e. research & evaluation, training & technical assistance, and program operations—that support workforce-related programs for under-represented Youth and Adult populations. All Federal agencies benefit from the Act’s provisions.  However, it is the Department of Labor’s $13.2 billion in discretionary appropriations, particularly the
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