There are four jobseekers to every job vacancy and 13.9 million unemployed in the worst recession that the U.S. has seen in generations; yet, the House of Representatives has recommended axing federal employment and training programs (Workforce Investment Act: WIA) in its latest rendition of the proposed budget. Currently, the WIA authorizes nearly 575 local business-led workforce investments boards (WIBs) that cover all fifty states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Territories to oversee and coordinate services through a network of 3,000 One-Stop Career Centers. Over 12,000 businesses across America volunteer their time and energy to lead, coordinate and provide workforce strategies that leverage funding and resources within their local communities - that's 12,000 businesses that have the pulse on the employment and training needs within their unique markets to help Americans get jobs.
Congressional policy-making is not helped by such incomplete descriptions of the federal workforce system, as appeared in USA Today's February 9 article, that states the system's effectiveness unclear. What is unclear about funds through the WIA putting four million people into jobs last year?
If you are one of the 13.9 million people who are out of work, or you know someone who is out of work and has been affected by a lack of resources to find a new job or get the necessary training they need to change careers, if you are one of the 12,000 businesses that serve on a local WIB or serve customers in a One-Stop Career Center, or a customer who has benefitted from the system, and you care about keeping America working ...please sign this petition to tell Congress to Keep WIA Title I Funds: Keep Americans in Training for 21st Century Jobs.
For more information, go to http://www.workforceinvestmentworks.com/
