Monthly Archives November 2013

The Obama administration has taken another step toward making good on its promise to help better prepare students entering the workforce, as well as ensuring that the U.S workforce can compete globally, by announcing $100 million dollars to fund Youth CareerConnect  Grants. This competitive grant—using money from the H1-B visa program—offers awards of between $2-$7 million for 25-40 education agencies, public or non-profit local workforce entities, or non-profits with education reform experience involved in individual or multi-site projects. It is reassuring that the commitments made are being honored by lawmakers, and KRA Corporation applauds the continued investment in the upcoming
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As a company that has dedicated more than 30 years to improving the lives of individuals and strengthening the communities in which we live, KRA Corporation cast an intrigued eye over two interesting articles—both of which dealt with disparities in what workers have traditionally gotten paid—from the different DOL departments in the official blog, Work in Progress. Most interesting was the scope of focus regarding how the various tiers of payment practices and the discrepancies that exist have affected workers among certain groups. As many strides have been made in creating parity in the workforce since the turn of the
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It is reassuring to see that it is business as usual around the halls of the Department of Labor (DOL), which has picked up right where it left off after the temporary shutdown, with last week proving to be very productive for the agency. Labor Secretary Perez offered his opinions on the employment figures for October (which continue to move in a healthy direction). In his characteristic uncompromising fashion, the Secretary took a very outspoken approach on actions by the government that he feels have hindered forward progress in social and employment equity, as well as hurting the overall cause of workforce
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Veterans Day prompted a buzz in the Department of Labor (DOL), with the agency highlighting the legislation that was passed this year, as well as the existing resources available to this important workforce group. KRA Corporation believes that—after youth employment programming—our veterans are the most important group in public workforce policy and so we are heartened to see that the DOL’s commitment to improving the employment plight of U.S. veterans remains consistent. Ensuring that veterans get access to employment programs and initiatives is something in which Secretary of Labor Perez has taken a personal interest, overseeing the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service
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KRA Corporation looks at sector-based employment and training as a much-needed  approach for some local workforce and economic development systems… Ten years ago, then President George W. Bush laid out what his administration considered a “groundbreaking approach for closing employment skills gaps.”  In his address, he stated “The High Growth Job Training Initiative…is aiming to give workers the skills they need to realize their dreams. It’s a collaborative effort to help team up people with the jobs that are needed, to make sure that the changes in our economy don’t leave people behind.” Subsequently, the Department of Labor (DOL) Employment
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KRA Corporation explores the new Obama Administration initiative designed to create projects that aid in accelerated job creation and increased business investment in the manufacturing sector. The winners of the Make it in America Challenge were announced recently with the 10 grantees receiving a combined total of $20,533,409 for “projects supporting regional economic development, advanced skills training, greater supply chain access and other enhancements.” The grant winners submitted applications for projects that “help distressed regions build on existing assets, promote a competitive environment for foreign-owned and domestic firms to establish and grow their U.S. operations, create jobs and develop a
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