As many of you know, one of ASTD's top legislative priorities is
the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). First
passed in 1998, it's long overdue to be reworked.
Over the past 6 months, ASTD has been on Hill conducting meetings
with staff of the Senate and House Republicans on this issue and
offering our expertise and our members' feedback on what changes
should be made to the new bill. We have been with staff leaders on
the House side who control, for the most part, the timing and the
debate on this issue.
Several of us did meet with House Democratic staff last week, and
it was a very productive meeting. After introductions and
"niceties", we did get down to discussing some of the substantive
issues about the bill and how we may be able to assist staff in
ensuring that current best practices in training and performance
are considered in the new bill.
Our plan is to schedule a follow up meeting soon (probably after
ICE) and continue our discussions with both the Senate and the
House on this issue. Hopefully we will have some movement soon.
For all of you who are coming to Chicago for ICE, please stop by
one of our three policy sessions at ICE:
The 411 on Grants: How to Access Public Funding for Your
Organization
Sunday, May 16, 1:45-3:00 p.m.
This session will walk you through the necessary steps to
understand how to identify grant opportunities, how to identify
partners, and how to help your organization apply for and win
funding.
Building a Partnership with the Publicly Funded Workforce
System
Monday, May 17, 2:15-3:30 p.m.
The session will explain how to develop partnerships with the
workforce system at the local level, and how to influence state and
local funding priorities. There will also be a review current
federal legislation affecting the learning and development field.
Show Me the Money Where to Find Public Funding and Resources for
Training Programs
Wednesday, May 19, 10:30-11:45 a.m.
By understanding the funding streams and different programs that
are available for workforce training, you may be able to tap into a
new pool of resources. Join this panel of experts for a discussion
about how their organizations engage in the public workforce system
and tips for success to implement in your own organization.
See you in Chicago!