Smucker Workforce Priorities Advance in Committee

Washington – Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) voted in favor of advancing H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act, during a meeting of the House Education and the Workforce Committee. The legislation was reported favorably with a 44-1 bipartisan vote.

Rep. Smucker’s legislation to codify the Reentry Program, which provides grants to organizations that promote and assist in the reentry of justice-involved individuals into the workforce, was included in the underlying text of H.R. 6655. Additionally, the Building Youth Workforce Skills Act Smucker introduced with Rep. Nathaniel Moran (TX-1), to expand federal workforce program offerings to school-aged children for additional career pathways to success, was advanced in H.R. 6655.

The bipartisan A Stronger Workforce for America Act, introduced by Chairwoman Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC-5) and Ranking Member Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-3), also addresses a key concern about how bureaucratic program requirements are blocking PA-11 institutions from participating in federal workforce programs offered through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). 

Click here to watch Rep. Smucker’s remarks from today’s committee hearing.

Below are Smucker’s remarks on H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act, as prepared for delivery:

“I am pleased that we are considering this legislation today which takes huge strides towards improving our nation’s workforce development programs, also called WIOA programs, at a time when industries are crying out for more workers.

One provision of this bill that is particularly important to my constituents is a measure that streamlines the “eligible training provider list,” or ETPL, which training providers must apply for in order to access the WIOA system.

Businesses in my district have told me that the process of applying to the ETPL is burdensome and time-consuming, and in the end they simply don’t have the bandwidth to apply and have to decline to participate in WIOA.

By reducing red tape and simplifying procedures, this bill will ensure that high-quality programs will be able to access the ETPL and use WIOA dollars for their programs that meet strong employment outcomes.

I am also glad that significant portions of my bipartisan bill to codify the Reentry Program were included in the text of this legislation.

The Reentry Program provides grants to promote and assist those exiting the justice system as they seek a job and re-enter our communities.

The bill we are considering would implement rigorous performance metrics on eligible workforce development programs, including faith-based organizations, local workforce development boards, and others to ensure that the individuals they assist are obtaining stable employment and incentivized not to re-offend. 

My provisions are not creating a new program but, rather, are reasserting congressional oversight over the Reentry Program that has existed outside of statute. In this way, our body will be able to enforce outcomes metrics and help build a stable workforce pipeline for those exiting the justice system.

Finally, the bill we are considering today includes a piece of legislation that I was honored to co-lead with my friend from Texas, Congressman Moran, and extends eligibility for Individualized Training Accounts, or ITAs, to in-school youth.

More and more young people are realizing that there are education options besides a traditional four-year university and they want to enter the workforce on a faster timeline.

If they are otherwise eligible for WIOA programs, young people that are still in school should have access to ITAs that allow them to receive workforce development training and take steps towards their future career in in-demand industries.

To conclude, A Stronger Workforce for America Act includes meaningful reforms that will make the WIOA system more impactful and develop a new generation of workers who can meet the needs of our communities.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bill and urge all my colleagues to vote yes.

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, and I yield back.”

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