Our Job is More Than Training

A robust workforce system requires well organized orchestration, customer centricity in its services, and agility for changing economic conditions

March 4, 2025 — Those of us in the workforce development space know that the 118th Congress came “just this close” to reauthorizing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) through a bill titled A Stronger Workforce for America (ASWA). While a logical starting place for this Congress’s WIOA reauthorization debates (the bill was a bipartisan, bicameral agreement), I invite policy makers to pause, step back a bit, and consider a bigger picture as they initiate these discussions.

A robust workforce system requires well organized orchestration, customer centricity in its services, and agility for changing economic conditions.

While ASWA did have some provisions which would enhance our nation’s public workforce system it was unfortunately based on an incomplete premise; namely that it exists primarily to be a conduit for training. Creating access to training is certainly a part of what workforce boards do, but they – as prescribed in WIOA’s purpose section – do so much more. The law was designed to “improve the quality of the workforce, reduce welfare dependency, increase economic self-sufficiency, meet the skill requirements of employers, and enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the Nation.”

Tomorrow (Wednesday, March 5), the House Education and Workforce Committee’s Subcommittee on Higher Education & Workforce Development will hold this Congress’s first official hearing on WIOA entitled “Strengthening WIOA: Improving Outcomes for America’s Workforce”. I hope the witnesses paint the full picture of what workforce boards do in communities all across the nation to achieve those results noted above.

While there will certainly be questions and testimony about skills development, I hope the witnesses spend time outlining the convener role workforce boards play and the investment it takes to effectively play this role. Bringing stakeholders together – business leaders, training providers, community-based organizations, economic developers, educational entities, unions – to discern their region’s pathway to economic vitality is no small task. It takes – among other things – agility, negotiation, data analysis, and strategy. And it takes the investment of time and planning.  Without that investment, communities lack a shared future vision and the path to get there.

I hope Congress’s aperture can broaden to learn more about this essential role of workforce boards and understand the vital importance of shaping WIOA reauthorize to enhance it.

I also hope testimony is offered to reflect the value small and medium-sized businesses receive from using the WIOA system to address their talent needs. FutureWork Systems analysis of WIOA data from the last four reported quarters (July 2023-June 2024) reveals that over 1.5 million jobs were filled by employers leveraging WIOA in just this way – that’s a job filled every 5 seconds of every work day. That means that by the time you finish reading this sentence, a business will have hired a new employee because of WIOA.

Employers use this system every day to find talent; they also use it to upskill that talent once on the job. WIOA offers small businesses the ability to provide talent development to their teams without having to have a full-blown training department like bigger corporations may have. This service enables small business to find and grow its talent and compete in today’s rapidly changing environment. I hope Congress hears about this vital support for small businesses and sees how it is a critical part of the WIOA picture.

Through this hearing, I hope Congress understands the importance of the full variety of supports and resources WIOA offers to job seekers – including, but not limited to, training resources. Training is certainly a type of support accessible through WIOA; it can be just what’s needed to help someone enter the labor market. But (as referenced in the FutureWork Systems analysis) there were literally over a million people who found work from July 2023 – June 2024 because of WIOA who did not need training to make that move; they needed something else such as career services, resume development, technology skills, transportation, or other supportive services. And WIOA is designed – and should continue to be designed – to just that: meet the job seeker where they are and provide what’s needed, either directly or through partners.

I’m not saying training is not important; it is.

I’m not saying WIOA shouldn’t offer training; it should.

Do I think WIOA could or should be doing more to ensure training is offered when warranted and that that training leads to employment?  I sure do. But there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to training.

But to begin and end the understanding of WIOA as being only or even primarily about training is not just short-sighted; it’s inaccurate and misleading.

It fails to reflect the complexity within our nation’s public workforce system. Every day, thousands of career coaches help people enter the workforce through WIOA. Small businesses turn to WIOA to find their next employees and communities across this nation are working to understand where their economy is going and put together plans to meet that future.

So, I hope tomorrow’s hearing doesn’t continue the limited view from last year’s debate but rather paints the fuller picture so that WIOA reauthorization can truly improve all that our nation’s public workforce system does for the communities it serves.

February 28, 2025 — Last night, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) issued a notice cancelling the Department of Labor (DOL)/ETA Training and Employment Notice (TEN) 21-24, issued on January 22, to implement President Trump’s Executive Order (EO).

The EO, which was issued on January 20, called for the termination of all “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government.” Federal agencies were directed to terminate programs, positions, grants and contracts related to DEI. The TEN 21-24 was issued to formally implement the EO. It is unclear when or if new guidance will be issued, but NAWB will continue to monitor the situation and keep you posted on any developments.

We held listening sessions in late January for its members and provided the results of these sessions to DOL. NAWB members expressed concern and confusion about how their efforts to reach all potential workers – including those hardest to serve – could be affected by the order.

“We are glad to see DOL take swift action to reverse course, given the unintended consequences and widespread confusion caused by the initial executive order,” said Brad Turner-Little, president and CEO of the National Association of Workforce Boards. “Our members – workforce boards from across the nation and its territories – look forward to working with the department on our shared goals of strengthening the economy by increasing labor force participation and filling the 7.6 million vacant jobs in America.”

February 27, 2025 — Former Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer, President Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), got one step closer to final confirmation today. This morning the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee advanced her nomination on a 14-9 vote. Three Democrats, including Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined all but one Republican, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), in voting to advance DeRemer’s nomination to the full U.S. Senate. DeRemer’s nomination is likely to be considered by the full Senate next week, and we will keep you posted as this develops.

Following the vote, the HELP Committee held a hearing on President Trump’s nomination of Keith Sonderling to serve as DOL Deputy Secretary—the second highest political appointment position within the agency who would also serve as chief operating officer, overseeing 17,000 employees, and a $14 billion budget. Sonderling formerly ran the DOL Wage and Hour Division and served on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission during the first Trump Administration. Sonderling was introduced by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), a fellow Floridian, who highlighted his work in the state as the hearing got underway.

Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) opened the hearing by noting that the wants to hear how the deputy secretary will implement President Trump’s agenda to create economic growth nationwide.

Sonderling began his testimony by sharing what he called “a fundamental characteristic of who I am” as a grandson of Holocaust survivors who faced religious discrimination and barriers to employment once they arrived in America. He highlighted his previous work under the first Trump Administration at DOL and argued that his record, including bipartisan support for his confirmation during that time, makes him well suited to serve in this new capacity.

Cassidy began the questioning of Sonderling by highlighting the need for flexibility for gig workers. Sonderling committed to reviewing independent contractor regulations that are currently under litigation.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) attempted to get clarification on how the Trump Administration’s executive order on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is being interpreted and subsequently implemented. She noted that current WIOA law calls for engaging “individuals with a barrier to employment” and asked if that would qualify as DEI. She noted that there is no standard definition of DEI and emphasized the need to be careful in this area because of this uncertainty. She also raised DOL’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and questioned whether Sonderling believes that taxpayer funds should go to companies that discriminate. Sonderling pledged to ensure that all DOL funds are producing results, “We will look at all federal dollars going into workforce training development…and that dollars going to your states are producing those results,” he said.

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) highlighted the importance of workforce development, especially apprenticeship programs and asked how the nominee would empower the workforce of the future with the necessary skills needed for employment. Sonderling agreed with these sentiments and highlighted his support for making alternative postsecondary pathways, like apprenticeship, appealing to more people. Marshall also highlighted the importance of measuring what matters most within workforce development, emphasizing the importance of being able to answer key questions such as whether participants secured a job, whether they ended up with debt during their education or training, and increased earnings over the short- and long-term.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) asked about the number of people who have lost jobs at DOL, especially veterans. He noted that 30% of the federal workforce are veterans, and that half of those are disabled. Kaine argued forcefully about the importance of protecting all Americans’ rights in the workplace, using these examples.

Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) inquired about the Bureau of Labor Statistics continuation of issuing data to ensure we have public trust. Husted also highlighted the importance of apprenticeships and Career and Technical Education. Sonderling committed to ensuring that DOL would provide trustworthy data and information to the public under his watch and agreed about the importance of ensuring more Americans have high-quality options to career success.

Sen Maggie Hassan (D-NH) inquired about DOL layoffs and pressed the nominee on what he would do “if asked by the president to break the law.” Sonderling replied, “President Trump would never ask me to do that.” Hassan asked about the steps Sonderling will take to protect sensitive personal information of Americans. She noted that Elon Musk has gotten $38 billion in subsidies from federal government sources, and that he has ongoing complaints from employees at his companies. Sonderling argued that the Trump Administration remained committed to ensuring that there would be no conflicts of interest at DOL.

Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) asked about artificial intelligence (AI), noting that it holds a lot of promise but also threatens to negatively impact many existing jobs. Sonderling noted that any use of AI in the workforce must comply with current health and safety laws. He added that we need to ensure the American workforce is getting trained on this technology, and that these tools are being developed in the U.S. Finally, Banks noted that putting America first means holding companies accountable for enforcing immigration laws, and asked the nominee to commit to allowing ICE to enter workplaces to enforce immigration laws. Sonderling committed that all applicable immigration and workforce laws will be enforced.

Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) a former Delaware state department of labor secretary, expressed concern about employees who were laid off at DOL and the way that programs serving persons with disabilities could be affected by anti-DEI initiatives. She also noted that we have a national workforce shortage, but that we are firing people we need.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) urged the nominee to focus on the challenge of apprenticeships in rural areas, an important geographic consideration in Alaska. She also said that there is no local workforce to meet Alaska’s seasonal seafood labor needs and highlighted the need to work constructively on guest worker visa programs to help address these challenges.

Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) noted that her constituents who work at DOL received conflicting messages about responding to the request for five things they did that week. Sonderling said he was not involved with that and committed to complying with all laws and regulations. Alsobrooks asked if that includes collective bargaining agreements in place at DOL.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) raised the issue of AI in hiring, and if the technology should play a role in federal hiring. Sonderling noted that AI tools “need to be developed, designed, and deployed” in the U.S. Hawley indicated his desire to make sure our workers are benefitting from this technology, “not being ravaged and preyed upon by this technology.”

Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) continued discussing AI and Sonderling noted that it has the potential to be less discriminatory in hiring practices than people can be. Sonderling noted that displaced jobs due to AI is likely inevitable and, for this reason, we need to make sure we have the tools to upskill and reskill workers. Kim also asked whether OSHA is sufficiently funded. Sonderling committed to doing a full review of all programs and agencies across DOL.

Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) stated that DOL must return to its core mission of making Americans productive and focused her comments on emphasizing the need to allow states to pass laws that suit their needs.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) noted that President Trump wants to bring back presidential impoundment authority and asked Sonderling if he would adhere to congressional directives on funding. “I will always follow the law,” he responded. Baldwin also expressed concern about workplace violence especially for health care personnel and social workers, as well as concerns about DOGE’s involvement in medical and financial records of Americans. Sonderling noted ongoing lawsuits on this issue and declined to comment further due to the ongoing litigation.

Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) raised the recent firing of DOL’s inspector general (IG), noting the lack of transparency, and asked about the rationale for that action. Sonderling noted that the current acting IG will be independent, but noted he was unsure of the vetting process. In response to the protections that a potential whistleblower would have, Sonderling noted that OSHA whistleblower laws will be enforced.

Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) whose father lost a finger in a workplace accident as a young man, shared statistics about workplace safety: that there are 5,000 workplace fatalities each year, and that workers lose 200 limbs or fingers each month in America. He added that there was just one safety inspector for every 4,300 workplaces in America.

We expect Sonderling’s nomination to be further considered by the HELP committee in the coming weeks. He is already at work as an advisor at the Department of Labor while awaiting confirmation.

We look forward to working with DOL’s incoming leadership to collaborate with workforce boards and engage business leaders to address workforce shortages and upskill earners and learners with the skills they need to be successful.

February 26, 2025 — This morning, the House Education and Workforce (E&W) Committee held a hearing focused on ways to strengthen the economy through various federal policies. The hearing began with Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) laying out his view that federal regulations imposed on employers have harmed the economy and that deregulation is a key strategy to strengthen it in the future. He also strongly endorsed President Trump’s and Congressional Republicans’ plans to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as an additional way to spur economic growth. In his opening remarks, Ranking member Bobby Scott (D-VA) noted that the House’s recently approved budget resolution—a key procedural step in the wider budget reconciliation process that was passed along party lines late last night—calls for at least $330 billion in funding reductions from the E&W Committee, and that these potential cuts will harm the American workforce.

Several recurrent themes emerged during the hearing, including persistent workforce shortages in key sectors of the economy, the impact of ongoing inflation, and the role immigration, including guest worker programs, have in supporting economic growth.

Witnesses included Rosanna Maietta from the American Hotel and Lodging Association who noted that the hotel industry has roughly 200,000 job openings to fill. Dr. William Beach, senior fellow in economics at the Economic Policy Innovation Center and former director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, suggested that regulatory relief and tax relief would lead to increased productivity, as would addressing the federal budget deficit. Dr. Heidi Shierholz, president of the Economic Policy Institute and former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Labor, expressed grave concerns about how pending budget cuts would affect workers. Elizabeth Milito from the National Federation of Independent Business’s Small Business Center highlighted that small businesses have faced many challenges including COVID, supply chain interruptions, and regulatory burdens (at a cost of $1.8 trillion to small businesses, she noted). She advocated for policies to broadly provide more certainty for the business community.

Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA) noted several steps that would unleash the workforce, including providing access to needed skills, reauthorizing WIOA, and updating federal job training programs. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), the former committee chair, expressed that regulations could be even more impactful than tax cuts, and Dr. Beach agreed. Foxx also emphasized her view that a lighter federal regulatory burden would affect worker upskilling and education. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) expressed significant concern about high prices, inflation, and barriers to employment. As chairman of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, he said he is eager to focus on workforce issues, including how to create a skilled workforce, emphasizing that there are many pathways toward family-sustaining employment. Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) shared her concerns about the House’s recent budget resolution that would likely cut programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and Head Start.

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) discussed the importance of workers having multiple pathways to workforce. He voiced concern over government assistance programs creating disincentives for participation in the labor force. Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT) noted that low wages lead many Americans to rely on public assistance and that cutting these programs would be counterproductive. She voiced support for an increase in the federal minimum wage. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) raised significant concerns over treatment of the federal workforce and whether Americans’ private data is still secure amid ongoing activities spearheaded by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency. Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) expressed her concerns about firings at wage and hour offices around the country. Shierholz responded that a lot of sensitive personal info has been compromised, and that unemployment claims and OSHA cases are at risk due to these disruptions.

Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT) focused his remarks on the importance of supporting business franchising, the growing role of independent contractors, and the need to teach the power of entrepreneurship. Owens also defended efforts to “rightsize” the federal government, as is often done in the private sector. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) expressed concerns about recent events concerning the National Labor Relations Board and that the agency’s independence has been compromised with recent executive actions taken by President Trump. DeSaulnier also expressed concern about workforce development tools for disabled people and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act if the U.S. Department of Education were to be eliminated. Rep. Michael Rulli (R-OH) raised the issue of tax-free tips and asked if this policy change would help with employee retention.

Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ) raised concerns about a bill to eliminate OSHA and how heartbreaking it has been to lose workers on the job (which he noted has happened twice in his career). Rep. Mark Messmer (R-IN) noted the vital nature of the Sec. 199(a) small business deduction, and urged its renewal. Rep. Robert Onder (R-MO) expressed strong support for the H2B guestworker visa as essential. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) highlighted concerns about tariffs, noting that the price of steel has already increased since the November elections. He also noted that Farm Bureau and National Association of Home Builders are both sounding the alarm about tariffs and rising costs due to these policies. Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) highlighted that veterans are disproportionately employed by the federal government and noted that an estimated 6,000 veterans have been terminated in recent weeks as part of aforementioned efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce.

Chairman Walberg closed the hearing by noting that the Committee is committed to “considering legislative solutions to improve the standard of living for American workers, reduce the burdens on business, and strengthen the economy, and that includes WIOA reauthorization and Workforce Pell.”

Shortly after the hearing concluded the E&W Committee announced a new hearing, specifically focused on WIOA, has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 5. NAWB will continue to share more information about these efforts as they become available. In the meantime, we urge you to continue making the case for WIOA funding to federal policymakers, especially if your member of Congress serves on the House E&W Committee and the vital role workforce development boards play in WIOA implementation.

February 14, 2025 —  President Trump nominated Henry Mack III to serve as the next Assistant Secretary of Labor, leading the Department’s Employment and Training Administration. Mack has extensive experience in workforce development, previously serving on CareerSource Florida’s state workforce board and as a Chancellor of Florida’s Department of Education. Mack’s nomination to Assistant Secretary will require Senate confirmation– timing for which is forthcoming

President and CEO of the National Association of Workforce Boards, Brad Turner-Little, made a statement regarding the nomination:

“We are pleased to see someone with such an extensive background in workforce development be nominated for this critical leadership position. Supporting and developing a skilled workforce needed for the future is one of the best investments we can collectively make for our nation, and we look forward to the Senate’s consideration of Henry Mack’s nomination to lead the Employment and Training Administration.”

January 17, 2025 — The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) today announced that two members of its Board of Directors, Kathy Jewett and Debra Giordano have stepped down from their roles for personal reasons. Al Searles, a member of the board’s executive committee, has been elected to the Vice Chair position vacated by Jewett during the board’s most recent meeting.

“On behalf of the NAWB team, I extend my gratitude to both Kathy and Deb for their valuable contributions and commitment during their tenure on the Board,” said President and CEO, Brad Turner-Little. “Their leadership and dedication have played an integral role in shaping our growth and I appreciate their guidance during a time of transformation for the organization.”

“As Board Chair, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Kathy for her exceptional leadership and dedication as a board director over the past six years and most recently as vice chair,” said NAWB Board Chair, Lisanne McNew. “Her vision and commitment have been pivotal in advancing NAWB’s mission and strengthening workforce boards nationwide. As Al steps into the role of Vice Chair, I am confident his expertise and passion will guide us forward, building on Kathy’s legacy and driving continued innovation and impact in workforce development.”

She added, “Deb’s expertise and dedication to workforce development have been invaluable to our industry. Her thoughtful leadership and contributions have left a lasting impact on workforce boards and the communities they serve. We are deeply grateful for all she has done for our board.”

To start 2025, I’ve been looking at the various predictions being made for the coming year. I’ve found bold predictions about space travel, logical ones about demographics, and ones that have made me chuckle. While they come from different people with different points of view, one through-line that shows up in (almost) all of them is the continuance of the dramatic rate of change, largely driven by the accelerating influence AI will have on all our lives.

That has led me to reflect on the message we heard during The Forum 2024 from Eric Termuende, best-selling author and leader in workforce trends, who talked about the importance of building trust not just within teams, but also within communities during times such as these.

One of the ways that trust is built is by listening hard and acting upon what you’ve heard. That’s what NAWB is committing to this new year – listening hard and creating opportunities to engage, advocate, share, and work together to build the capacity and capability of our members to meet this critical moment in communities across the nation.

Over the past year, we’ve learned our members want more ways to learn from each other, tell the workforce system’s story more effectively and find ways to lean into the opportunities new technologies offer for both operations and services.

As a result, we’ve developed a variety of offerings for our members to take advantage of early in 2025 that respond to these desires. Here are the top five!

1. Winter Webinar Series: One of the best ways we have to share what’s making a real impact in communities is for local boards to showcase what’s working for them and how they do it. Our Winter Webinar Series continues our commitment to create ways for you to learn from those making a difference on the ground in communities. The session on Wednesday, Jan. 22 will focus on promising practices leveraging SNAP E&T funds to drive impact.

2. Engaging new (and returning) Members of Congress: The 119th Congress starts its work this month and now is the time to get to know them and for them to get to know you. Our first Public Policy PowerUp of the year, on Friday, Jan. 24, will focus on strategies to effectively tell your story to lawmakers. You can also use the Hosting a Congressional Site Visit Guide we jointly published last summer with the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals as a step-by-step map for having policymakers visit your services.

3. Microsoft Copilot Pilot: We’ve heard from boards across the country about the need for their teams to understand how emerging technologies can improve their workflows. In response, we’ve secured the opportunity for local boards to have their teams trained at no cost in using Microsoft Copilot in 2025. Learn more about how to take advantage of this benefit.

4. The Forum 2025: The single largest annual gathering of the workforce ecosystem, The Forum (March 29 – April 1) continues to offer one of the best venues to learn from peers, build networks, and get reenergized for the work ahead. This year’s theme is Together.Forward.Change., and we’ve got a full lineup of dynamic sessions, expert speakers, and innovative programming designed to inspire and empower workforce leaders.

5. Workforce Advocacy Day: New in 2025, Workforce Advocacy Day (April 1-2) will be our opportunity to collectively tell our story and demonstrate the nation’s public workforce system’s impact in communities directly to Congress.

In addition to these five things, our weekly NAWBNews emails feature more opportunities to engage with other boards and NAWB.

To close, I want to add to the list of predictions for 2025. It’s one that’s not far-fetched; it’s based on what I know to be true – your commitment to your communities. In 2025, hundreds of thousands of people will find their way into the world of work because of you; tens of thousands of businesses will find the talent they need to grow because of you. And because of you, more families will be more economically secure than they were in 2024.

We at NAWB are excited for this year and all it will hold as we work to support, serve, and represent you and the critical work you do every day.

Happy New Year – let’s make 2025 amazing!

– btl

Dec. 20, 2024 – The 118th Congress will conclude without having completed work to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). This leaves our nation’s public workforce system once again at a crossroads as workforce development boards look ahead to the future.

WIOA was last updated in 2014 with an authorization period of five years, concluding in 2019. It remains a national imperative that Congress work to successfully reauthorize this critically important public investment which serves as the workforce ecosystem’s backbone in communities and states across this country.

Newly updated WIOA legislation is needed to ensure services to thousands of employers, learners, and workers as they seek to leverage the public workforce system to find dignity through work, build new skills, change careers, and to secure family-sustaining employment.

The National Association of Workforce Boards–which serves, supports and represents workforce boards–looks forward to working with the 119th Congress to update WIOA to meet the current moment and to help more Americans find success in today’s dynamic economy. We stand ready to work together to that critical end.