Stimulus

Stimulus, stimulus, stimulus...

That is all you hear on about Capitol Hill these days. It is consuming all the space in the newspapers, on TV and online. It looks like there will be billions spent to try to get the economy kick started. Though both versions of the stimulus bill (Senate and House) are different, there will probably be money in the final bill for worker training in some capacity.

The House version of the bill has more money for worker training through the WIA funding formulas. Some of those funds are for youth. The House version also has billions for education, including an expansion of Pell Grants. The Senate version has more tax cuts than the House, so we will have to see what comes out of the conference committee meetings.

There are over 100 bills in both the Senate and the House introduced this year that have some type of training component. Many of those bills are for the creation of "green jobs" and to ensure workers have skills in new green industries. There are also a few bills that contain expanded use of e-learning within publicly funded worker training programs. Some bills have expanded training for veterans and for nursing training programs.

What can you do? Well, you can contact you local member of Congress and give them your feedback on the current set of bills that include training. Discuss your industry needs for skilled workers. Plus, at ICE this year, you will have the opportunity to meet and discuss current policy issues with your member of Congress. Stay tuned for more information.