By a vote of 412-10, the House passed H.R. 4072, the AMERICA Works Act. The NAM sent a “Key Vote” letter to the House in support. John Engler, president of the NAM, said after passage:

American manufacturers frequently cite the need for a skilled workforce as among their top priorities. Employers rely on the right workers with the right skills at the right time to drive innovation, increase productivity and remain globally competitive. Workers need the technical skills to access employment and advancement opportunities. The best way to prepare today’s students and transitioning workers for the modern workforce is to offer training in nationally portable, industry-recognized certifications.

Skills certification plays an important role in a national economy where mobility of the labor force is critical. If you’re a young, adventurous and skilled manufacturing worker who wants to leave the East Coast and strike out for the boom economy of North Dakota, you could take your credentials and say, “See, my training — my credentials — demonstrates my abilities. I’ll be an excellent employee.”

Earlier posts…

• Sept. 28, “H.R. 4072, Improving Workforce Training, Skills“
• Nov. 18, 2009, “Workforce Training, the Next Step — National Credentials“

The National Association of Manufacturers has sent a “Key Vote” letter in support of H.R. 4072, the AMERICA Works Act. Excerpt:

American manufacturers frequently cite the need for a skilled workforce as among their top priorities. Employers rely on the right workers with the right skills at the right time to drive innovation, increase productivity and remain globally competitive. Workers need the technical skills to access employment and advancement opportunities. The best way to prepare today’s students and transitioning workers for the modern workforce is to offer training in nationally portable, industry-recognized certifications.

Each year, the federal government invests billions of dollars in workforce training programs with a limited impact. This bill responds by prioritizing existing funding for education and training programs (the Carl D. Perkins Vocational–Technical Education Act and the Workforce Investment Act) toward a registry of industry-recognized, nationally-portable credentials. By giving priority to education and training that leads toward skills credentials and that offers real value in the workplace for both workers and employers, the bill recognizes the need for a strong technical workforce in America and the value of industry-recognized, nationally-portable credentials.

A House vote is scheduled for action today or this evening. The House just jumped over it on the suspension calendar, but we do not anticipate a serious obstacle.

Earlier post.

One bill that should definitely not be overlooked among the 85 measures on today’s House suspension calendar is H.R.4072, the AMERICA Works Act. In fact, this bill stands out for embracing an important approach toward training that offers opportunities both to manufacturers and manufacturing employees.

Each year the federal government invests billions of dollars in workforce training programs with a limited impact. This bill responds by giving priority to education and training funds that lead toward skills credentials that offer real value in the workplace for both workers and employers. The legislation also recognizes the need for a strong technical workforce in America and the value of industry-recognized, nationally portable credentials such as the NAM-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System developed by The Manufacturing Institute.

Employers rely on workers with the right skills to drive innovation, productivity and global competitiveness. As manufacturers continue to lead the economic recovery and job creation in the United States, they need a skilled workforce. The Manufacturing Skills Certification System provides new and transitioning workers a clear pathway to in-demand skills so they can prepare for good, high-paying jobs in manufacturing. We urge the House to pass this legislation and the Senate to act quickly on this important legislation.

More …

Introductory statement by Rep. Walter Minnick (D-ID), Nov. 18, 2009, “Minnick authors major job-training bill,” which included a statement of support from Emily DeRocco, NAM senior vice president and head of the Manufacturing Institute.

In tough economic times with high unemployment and the loss of jobs, it is difficult to focus on workforce-skills development. In reality, we have no better time. True economic reform means not only righting our economic ship, but also pursuing the strategies that will ensure we maintain our manufacturing competitiveness and provide the best possible pathways to employment in high-quality, middle-class jobs for all workers. We commend Congressman Minnick and his colleagues for introducing this bill, which will help ensure both new and transitioning workers have the education and skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century manufacturing economy.

From The Idaho Statesman (Boise), “Minnick, other freshmen Democrats, propose rehaul to workforce training“:

Rep. Walt Minnick, D-Idaho, has introduced a bill that he says would bring major reform to federal job-training programs by prioritizing training and education that helps workers become certified for a new career.

“We must do a better job of aligning education and job training to the career pathways available in the 21st century economy,” Minnick wrote in a letter to colleagues. “The best way to prepare today’s students for the reality of the modern workforce is to offer training in industry-recognized skills.”

Minnick’s bill is H.R. 4072, the American Manufacturing Efficiency and Retraining Investment Collaboration Act, or AMERICA Works Act. It would require that several major federal job training and career education programs give priority to programs that provide a national industry-recognized and portable credential.

The Spokesman-Review has posted Rep. Minnick’s news release here.

The Manufacturing Institute, affiliated with the NAM, is a leading supporter of national credentials as way to ensure both high-quality training and its application across the entire country, encouraging job mobility. As Emily DeRocco, president of the Manufacturing Institute, says in the Statesman story:

True economic reform means not only righting our economic ship, but also pursuing the strategies that will ensure we maintain our manufacturing competitiveness and provide the best possible pathways to employment in high-quality, middle-class jobs for all workers. We commend Congressman Minnick and his colleagues for introducing this bill, which will help ensure both new and transitioning workers have the education and skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century manufacturing economy.

For more on the NAM endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification system, see http://www.manufacturingskills.org/