By Ilyse Wolens Schuman
One of the few employment-related bills considered by Congress this term is on its way to President Obama’s desk.
On July 9, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (H.R. 803) by a vote of 415-6 (with 11 not voting).
As previously discussed, last month the Senate approved this bill, which primarily reauthorizes and consolidates a number of federal job training programs.
Private sector will have more input
The measure includes provisions that give private sector employers the ability to provide greater input on the types of skills needed for today’s workforce.
For example, the bill requires that each Job Corps center created by the Job Corps program maintain a workforce council, the majority of which “shall be owners of business concerns, chief executives or chief operating officers of nongovernmental employers, or other private sector employers, who:
- Have substantial management, hiring, or policy responsibility; and,
- Represent businesses with employment opportunities that “reflect the employment opportunities of the applicable local areas in which enrollees will be seeking employment.”
The idea is that local employers are in the best position to know which skills best meet job demands.
President Obama is expected to sign this measure into law shortly.
More information on the bill can be found here.
This was originally published on Littler Mendelson’s Workplace Policy Update blog. © 2014 Littler Mendelson. All Rights Reserved. Littler®, Employment & Labor Law Solutions Worldwide® and ASAP® are registered trademarks of Littler Mendelson, P.C.