A skilled workforce is key to a secure economy.
When Congress acted on a short-term economic stimulus package last month, I made it clear that we needed to do more if we were going to make any progress towards long-term economic security for our nation.
Now, as Congress drafts the 2009 budget, I will be pushing my colleagues to prioritize investments in work-force development.
Over 14 million workers, or one in 10 workers nationwide, will seek training assistance from Workforce Investment Assistance and Employment Services this year.
The president’s proposed 2009 budget would cut these critical job training programs by 17 percent. I believe we need to strengthen our commitment for the American worker during uncertain economic times, not miss an opportunity to invest in our work force.
This year, I will also be working with my colleagues to improve training opportunities for trade-impacted workers.
Our state reaps many benefits from national trade. But, we must also recognize that some workers need to update their skill sets and change their careers to succeed in a globally competitive economy.
The Trade Adjustment Assistance program provides critical resources to trade-impacted workers including job training and relocation benefits. The TAA program, however, has not kept pace with the changes in our economy, and I believe its time that we provide workers greater flexibility to ensure their training can best prepare them to succeed in new, emerging industries.
An example for this type of program is the Edmonds Community College Materials Science Technology program that provides training for the next wave of jobs in aerospace, boat building and bio medical devices.
The men and women who serve in our armed forces form the very backbone of our American work force. For more than 60 years, the GI Bill has opened the door to higher education for millions of service members and veterans.
The GI Bill has provided our country with more than 450,000 engineers, 238,000 teachers and 91,000 scientists. But access to education should not have an expiration date.
That is why I introduced The Montgomery GI Bill for Life Act, which would allow service members and veterans to use their earned GI benefits anytime by repealing the 10-year and 14-year limit.
At the end of the day, it’s clear, we need a new national commitment to invest in the skills of the American work force to keep our economy robust.
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell has been a leader on work force development issues since taking office in 2000.
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