E01: Adapting to the Future of Work: Insights from Pikes Peak Workforce Center

NAWB gave testimony in support of a 5% funding increase for core Title I WIOA programs to the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee. Read the full text below

My name is Brad Turner-Little and I am privileged to serve as the CEO of the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB). We represent the nation’s nearly 600 Workforce Development Boards, which coordinate with education and economic development stakeholders to administer regional workforce programs to meet the needs of jobseekers, employers, and the wider communities that they serve. I appreciate the opportunity to submit this testimony in support of an increased federal investment in the primary Title I formula programs authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), including Adult and Dislocated Worker Employment and Training; and Youth Employment Activities.

Specifically, we encourage the subcommittee to invest at least $3.08 billion, collectively, for these three WIOA programs as part of the FY2025 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, a roughly five percent increase over current levels of investment.

Right now, there are approximately 6.4 million jobseekers in America. And there are an estimated 8.7 million jobs that businesses are struggling to fill. How do these two populations find each other? In many cases, it is a local Workforce Development Board.

Workforce Development Boards (WDBs) preside over more than 2,000 American Job Center locations throughout the nation. In the most recent program year, core WIOA programs served nearly 3 million individuals across the nation, many with the most significant challenges to finding and obtaining family-sustaining employment. Over 70 percent of all individuals served during this time period were employed after receiving critical career and training services. These same individuals earned more than 100,000 credentials of value.

Increasing the investment in WIOA remains a critical way for Congress to ensure that employers have the skilled talent they need to be successful while also supporting some of our most vulnerable and underserved populations in participating within the labor market. This is especially important as the national labor force participation rate has yet to rebound to pre-pandemic levels and as tight labor conditions persist across the nation. There may not be a more vital investment Congress can make than WIOA in terms of boosting our economy by matching skilled workers with businesses that are hiring, especially for in-demand sectors of our shared economy. Unfortunately, funding for core Title I WIOA programs has eroded steadily over the past several decades. Without an increased investment for these programs, both jobseekers and businesses will face greater difficulty in training and hiring skilled workers. For example, as pointed out by one of our local WDB members in Kansas, funding from WIOA has fallen by 46% in the last 10-12 years, in real dollar terms not accounting for the impacts of inflation. NAWB therefore urges you to provide at least $3.08 billion for core Title I WIOA programs in FY25 which we believe would be an important first step and downpayment toward closing this funding gap that has grown considerably over time. Our nation’s investments in workforce development help to create a comprehensive system capable of producing a highly skilled workforce that can compete in the global economy. Robust funding for WIOA is essential to helping more individuals find and secure family-sustaining employment.

Simply put, WDBs perform an indispensable function, reskilling and upskilling workers, matching workers and employers within local economies, and ultimately providing pathways to meaningful careers. Yet, WDBs need more robust resources to achieve these objectives.

I once again thank you for allowing me to provide this testimony to the Subcommittee.