Fund Futures with Job Training

Goodwill Industries International
Friday, 6 June 2003

Families across the United States face tough times as unemployment rates rise to their highest levels in 9 years. Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 9 million American workers were unemployed in May.

In the next few weeks, legislators will consider funding programs administered by the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, including vital workforce development programs. These funding decisions will affect the ability of low-income workers to access vocational and adult education, work supports such as childcare and transportation, as well as programs financed under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).

Last year, more than 580,000 people benefited from Goodwill job training programs and career services. We placed someone into a good job every two minutes of every business day. That person might be the teller at your bank, the teacher's aide at your child's school, or the administrative assistant in your office. Unfortunately, job training programs like the ones these people received are in jeopardy as Congress struggles with a ballooning deficit.

In recent years, workforce development programs have been consistently under-funded, despite sky rocketing unemployment and increasing need for skills training. Since fiscal year 2002, WIA adult funds have been cut by five percent and dislocated worker funds by approximately 10 percent.

We must adequately fund the federal systems designed to help laid-off workers get back into the workforce.

We must prepare our workers to meet the demands of our businesses, and provide people with sufficient training opportunities to help them get a good job and support their families.

We must bolster our nation's economic recovery by providing meaningful increases to job training programs in the fiscal year 2004 Labor-Health and Human Services-Education Appropriations bill.

At Goodwill Industries, we believe that work creates the economic energy that builds strong communities. By investing in the American worker, we invest in the American economy.

George W. Kessinger is the President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International, a network of 207 independent, community-based organizations in the United States, Canada and 22 other countries that provide job training and career services.

For more information, or to contact Goodwill Industries International, see their website at: www.goodwill.org