03.11.04

Cantwell Bolsters Job Training Program Budget by $250 Million

Could provide as many as 72,500 new job-training opportunities.

WASHINGTON, D.C . - As many as 72,500 new job-training opportunities could open up for U.S. workers because of a deal Sen. Maria Cantwell’s (D-WA) brokered to increase the federal workforce training budget by $250 million. After countless conversations with Republican leadership, Cantwell managed to get unanimous consent for her request to increase the budget for the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).

"We must make sure that our workers are prepared to successfully compete in the global economy," Cantwell said. "We will never have the cheapest labor in the world, but we can have the most skilled workers in the world. This is a first step on a long road toward reaching that goal."

She noted, "With so many people looking for a job, it may not feel like there are jobs available, but many industries are facing a shortage of skilled workers even during these rough economic times."

For example, there are 6,900 health care jobs available in Washington state right now. Nationwide, that number grows to 140,000. However, 59 percent of Washington state employers who were hiring in 2002 reported difficulty finding qualified applicants.

A U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey found that nearly 75 percent of employers reported "severe" conditions when trying to hire qualified workers. In the same survey, businesses complained that 40% of job applicants are poorly skilled and 30% have the wrong skills for available jobs.

Without investments in our workforce, the problem won’t go away anytime soon. The United States faces a shortage of 12 million highly skilled workers by the year 2020. And, all ten of the fastest growing occupations will require some type of skills training – training that can be provided with workforce investment funds.

Cantwell worked relentlessly on behalf of U.S. workers to pass her amendment AND get a commitment from Republican leadership to keep it in the final version of the bill after the conference committee makes its changes. The Senate budget resolution passed early morning.