Block Grants Won’t Solve America’s Workforce Challenges—Local Expertise Will 

As I sat in the Rayburn hearing room on Capitol Hill yesterday as the House Education and Workforce Committee heard testimony from Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, I was struck by a deep sense of irony. 

At a time when the Administration is promising to reshore manufacturing jobs, modernize our infrastructure, strengthen supply chains, and boost labor force participation, the president’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 cuts funding and dismantles proven programs that are essential for developing the talent pipelines needed to achieve these critical national goals. 

Secretary Chavez-DeRemer highlighted the Administration’s proposed budget as giving states the flexibility to spend workforce dollars “in the way that makes the most sense for them.” She describes consolidating all federal workforce development programs into a single Make America Skilled Again grant, with DOL funding reduced by 35%. Some would call it a block grant. I would call it risky.  

How can we be sure that governors will spend the money according to WIOA law to serve all communities and reach the most vulnerable populations? How can we be sure that the needs of local businesses continue to be prioritized, as they currently are by local workforce boards?  

In short, we can’t. 

The proposal to consolidate federal programs and shift to states would undermine a proven nationwide network of Job Centers, neglect local businesses’ insights crucial for workforce planning, and upend public-private partnerships.  

We already know that the current 15% governors’ set-aside under WIOA would benefit from clearer accountability and transparency measures to ensure it fully addresses statewide workforce needs. Expanding governors’ authority over 100% of workforce funding without clear guidelines risks weakening the locally driven services and partnerships that have proven essential for meeting workforce needs in communities throughout the country. 

Businesses in America today are struggling to fill over seven million jobs. They need economic stability, access to skilled jobseekers, and multiple training opportunities including apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and work study to ensure a strong and successful talent pipeline.  

Federal investments in workforce development already yield immense dividends, including $66 billion in annual wages earned by newly employed workers, reduced reliance on public assistance, business growth and productivity, and increased U.S. competitiveness.   

Congress should indeed provide pathways to help Americans become skilled and employed. Dissolving the very system that already gets the job done is not the way. 

Advancing Economic Mobility: How Workforce Boards Are Using Data to Better Support Parents

Since 2016, The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) and Innovate+Educate have partnered on the Family Centered Employment (FCE) initiative, recognizing that supporting parents is a powerful lever for community economic growth. This strategic partnership has revealed that when workforce systems identify and address parents’ unique needs—particularly through childcare access and coordinated support services—they have the potential to unlock greater workforce participation and career advancement opportunities that benefit entire families.  

In the fall of 2024, thanks to support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, NAWB collaborated with Social Policy Research Associates (SPR) to explore how workforce boards collect and use parent data in practice. Our national survey brought to light a critical insight: while many workforce boards recognize the importance of parent-centered approaches, gaps remain between intention and implementation. These findings not only highlight current challenges but also present compelling opportunities to transform how the workforce system serves parents—potentially impacting thousands of families nationwide. 

Key Findings 

  • 86% of survey respondents collect data on parental status, mostly for WIOA eligibility, yet 60% don’t clearly define “parent.” 
  • Over 70% use parental data to inform or update local WIOA plans. 
  • 88% partner with parent-serving organizations, but only 59% formally reflect those partnerships in their plans. 
  • Most WDBs want to collect more data, especially around childcare needs and benefit eligibility, to improve services. 

Why It Matters

Knowing that a jobseeker is a parent helps WDBs tailor services—from scheduling to supportive programs. But without consistent definitions, better data systems, and formal sharing agreements, WDBs face barriers to fully leverage this information. 

Looking Ahead 

While the survey provides a foundation for understanding the current parental data collected in the workforce system, it only scratches the surface. Further exploration with a diverse sample of WDB respondents from varying geographic locations, size, and staff roles could inform program design and systemic solutions. Topics may include:  

  • How WDBs define “parent” and collect related data 
  • Challenges and solutions in data collection 
  • Opportunities to streamline efforts through partnerships and shared tools 
  • Identifying promising practices to focus on for future data collection 

By improving how parental data is collected and used, WDBs can strengthen pathways to economic mobility—not just for individuals, but for entire families. NAWB will continue to share data and best practices to support family-centered employment strategies as the field evolves.  

Learn more about the survey and read the full report. 

NAWB Joins NLC, USCM, NACO, USWA in Laying Out WIOA Reauthorization Recommendations

May 7, 2025— This week, NAWB was proud to co-author a letter laying out formal recommendations for congress as they consider reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

The letter – signed by NAWB President & CEO Brad TurnerLittle; National League of Cities CEO and Executive Director Clarence Anthony; US Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director, Tom Cochran; National Association of Counties CEO and Executive Director, Matthew Chase; and US Workforce Associations Director, Ryan Hundt – lays out a set of specific recommendations for how Congress can streamline, improve, and strengthen the public workforce system.

“Locally WIOA has been successful in leveraging funds for activities like apprenticeships, summer youth programs, adult and youth career exploration and piloting innovative opportunities for new businesses,” the letter states. “As the network that serves job seekers and small businesses and supports strong local economies, the one stop career system is a stable and critical partner to economic development and is recognized as one of the most impactful and remunerative investments Congress has made, and can continue to make, in the years ahead.”

Read the letter now.

How Colorado is Supporting Older Workers

Workforce Challenge:

Jobseekers at several Pikes Peak Workforce Center events had mentioned challenges with finding positions as an older worker. In conjunction with its already popular Beyond Age (55+) workshops, the Center created the Beyond Age Job Fair in August of 2024.

Workforce Solution:

The Center sent out a newsletter containing the benefits of hiring older workers including the experience, critical thinking and knowledge that can only be reached at a certain age. For this event we invited employers actively hiring older workers looking to start new careers and/or find more opportunities to grow.

Outcomes and Benefits:

Seventeen employers attend this Pikes Peak Workforce Center event in addition to 164 job seekers. Of the job seekers in attendance, 76% met the target demographic aged 50 and over! This was successful event will successful event will be held again in 2025, in addition to the organization’s many other job fairs/hiring events.