|
Dear Friends,
The Senate budget has been reported out, and amendments have been filed.
Please call your state Senator today and ask him or her to co-sponsor and vote for important workforce amendments listed below.
Budget caucuses start Wednesday at noon, and any Senator can sign-on as a co-sponsor until debate begins. Amendments will be enacted as part of consolidated amendments by area; most of ours are in economic development and education.
JOB TRAINING AND EDUCATION
- ECO 254- Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund (WCTF); sponsored by Senators Candaras and Donnelly: transfers $10 million from the consolidated budget surplus to the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund.
- ECO 260- WCTF- Regional Centers of Excellence; sponsored by Senators Wolf, Donnelly and Candaras: transfers $10 million from the consolidated budget surplus to the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund using the Governor's language establishing Regional Centers of Excellence.
- EDU 383- WCTF- Rapid Response Workforce Development Grants for Community Colleges; Senators Donnelly, Candaras, Wolf, Knapik, DiDomenico, Spilka, and Eldridge: Adapts Senate language for the new Rapid Response incentive program for the community colleges to strengthen the partnerships to operate like the WCTF and increases the Fund from $3 million to $6 million.
- EDU 357- Educational Rewards Grant Program; Senator Eldridge to fund the Ed Rewards Grant Program at $1.5 million.
CAREER CENTERS
- ECO 279- One Stop Career Centers; Senators Wolf, Donnelly, Knapik, Rodrigues, Spilka and Eldridge to increase funding for career centers from $4.4 million to $5.5 million.
- ECO 294- Employment Services Programs; sponsored by Senator Keenan: increases funding for the ESP program line item 4401-1000 from $3.9 million to $8.1 million.
YOUTH JOBS
- ECO 239- Youth At Risk Summer Jobs; Senator McGee: to increase funding from $3 million to $9 million.
- ECO 289- Summer Jobs for At-Risk Youth; Senators Chang-Diaz and Donnelly to increase funding from $3 million to $12 million.
- ECO 218- Summer Jobs Program for At-Risk Youth; Senator Hart to increase funding from $3 million to $12 million.
- EDU 322- School to Career Connecting Activities; Senator McGee to increase funding from $2.7 million to $3.2 million.
- EDU 365- School to Career Connecting Activities; Senators DiDomenico and Chang-Diaz to increase funding from $2.7 million to $3.2 million.
- EPS 399- Shannon Grants; Senators Donoghue and Finegold to increase funding for Shannon grants from $6 million to $7 million.
By supporting these amendments you will help us build a stronger workforce, stronger communities and a more vibrant economy.
Please call your Senator today. Remember--budget caucuses start on Wednesday.
Sincerely, Loh-Sze Leung Director, SkillWorks: Partners for a Productive Workforce Kathie Mainzer Director, Workforce Solutions Group
|
House Jobs Bill--Quick Update
Last week, Speaker DeLeo, Chairman Wagner and the House Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies released the long awaited Jobs Bill.
Workforce advocates and employers were pleased to see several elements of the Middle Skills Solutions Act included in the package:
- $10M in funding for the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund (WCTF) from the consolidated budget surplus
- Allows for WCTF funding to support Regional Centers of Excellence aligned with the state's economic development agenda
- Provides for the regular review of local and regional labor market data to development regional workforce development plans
- Provides for baseline report on middle-skill training completion and credential attainment rates in the Commonwealth
The bill has been assigned to third reading and will soon move to the Senate for consideration. As you are calling your Senators this week on the budget, please also let them know you support the House Jobs and Economic Development Bill and would like it to pass the Senate as well!
|
