Career Act Introduced in Senate Today
•We are thrilled that today Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced the Careers Through Responsive, Efficient and Effective Retraining (CAREER) Act. The CAREER Act will improve the delivery of federal job training programs that help young people start on the path towards a career.
Opportunity Nation enthusiastically endorses the CAREER Act and sent the following letter of support.
Ask your Senators to support the legislation as well!
The CAREER Act will establish a pilot program in at least five states for a pay-for-performance model to deliver job-training services. Only programs that yield superior results will receive federal funding. The CAREER Act will also require that federal agencies seek broad input from local workforce investment boards, businesses, labor organizations and educational groups to produce a “reorganization plan” for the workforce development system that increases efficiency without decreasing services or access to services.
For more information about the CAREER Act, you can visit Senator Portman’s website and Senator Bennet’s website.
April 24, 2013
Senator Michael Bennet
458 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Senator Rob Portman
448 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senators Bennet and Portman:
Opportunity Nation, a bipartisan, cross-sector national campaign driven by organizations and individuals committed to expanding economic mobility and closing the opportunity gap in America, supports your bill, the Careers Through Responsive, Efficient, and Effective Retraining (CAREER) Act. This Act will improve the delivery of federal job training programs that help young people start on the path towards a career.
Opportunity Nation is a collaboration of more than 250 national non-profits, employers, educational institutions, faith-based and community organizations who together support, engage and reach more than 100 million Americans. Our coalition is committed to the notion that an individual’s zip code at birth should not determine his or her destiny. We believe that targeted actions to provide greater opportunity for young Americans will pay off in long-term economic success for families, communities and the Nation.
In order to improve opportunity for 6.7 million young Americans who are currently out of school or out of work, we have to change the way we do business. We need to ensure maximum results for our investments. The CAREER Act supports initiatives that will help achieve that goal by providing flexibility to improve outcomes for youth; aligning job training with regional and State workforce needs; holding providers accountable for results; and maximizing taxpayer dollars. The CAREER Act is a reasonable, bipartisan proposal that will support State and local efforts to re-engage disconnected youth and put them back to work.
We must repair strong ladders of opportunity for all young adults who are willing to climb and work hard, and we thank you for your joint leadership on this important issue. We look forward to continuing to work with you as this legislation moves forward.
Sincerely,
Mark Edwards
Executive Director
Opportunity Nation
Melanie Anderson
Melanie Anderson is the Director of Government and External Affairs at Opportunity Nation. She directs the campaign’s government relations and policy efforts. Read Melanie's bio.
