2011 Budget Updates:
After months of debate, discussions, hearings and continuing
resolutions, the 2011 Federal budget was signed into law by
President Obama on April 15th. HR 1473 (the final budget bill)
did eliminate $38.5 billion from discretionary spending from the
Administration's proposed 2011 budget from now until the end of the
current budget year (September 2011). The final bill was far from
the original bill passed in the House (HR 1), which would have cut
$61 billion from the 2011 budget and would have zeroed out several
major workforce programs.
Some of the cuts included: $182 million from the Workforce
Investment Act programs (3 program cuts). The Career Pathways
Innovation Fund ($125 million) was cut from the budget along with
the Green Jobs Innovation Fund ($40 million). Plus several other
workforce training programs from the Department of Labor and
Department of Education were also cut.
Now that the 2011 budget has passed, this summer the discussions
will center on the 2012 budget. The Obama administration had put
out their proposed budget earlier this year, and the House has
passed a "framework" for their 2012 budget. Since then, there has
been a feeling of dealing with both the proposed 2010 budget
deficit and the current national debt in this next budget, so we
will have to see what happens to worker training programs. ASTD
will continue to monitor events and keep the membership posted on
activities in Congress this summer.
Workforce Investment Act Reauthorization:
ASTD is still continuing monitoring of the Workforce Investment Act
reauthorization process. As of April, there are no updates to
report; but ASTD will be reviewing the draft legislation from the
Senate when it is available to the public for review and comment.
Public Policy Session at the International Conference in Orlando:
1. Successfully Engaging With the Publicly Funded Workforce
System.
Session #SU205; Sunday, May 22, 1:45-3:00 p.m.
Federal, state, and local governments provide billions of dollars
annually for job training and related services through the
workforce investment system. Are you aware of the programs that are
available? Many learning professionals can access a broad range of
government resources and programs to support building their
organization's skilled workforce.
2. Public Funding for Training: Are You Getting Your Fair
Share?
Session #M205; Monday, May 23, 2:15-3:30 p.m.
Many states have programs to reimburse organizations for workforce
training, with estimates suggesting that states invest as much as
$500 million to subsidize training programs. In addition to state
funding, there are training programs at the federal and local
levels for which your organization may qualify, as well as tax
incentives for training.
3. Show Me the Money: Building Your Plan to Apply for Training
Incentives
Session #W205; Wednesday, May 25, 10:30-11:45 a.m.
This group of experts will provide the inside scoop about how they
engage in the public workforce system and secure financial
incentives for training. They will share tips about finding
organizations with which to partner, and will help attendees build
a step-by-step action plan to help them apply for and secure
training funding.
Congressional Conversations 3.0!
Join ASTD on Capitol Hill as part of the Chapter Leaders
Conference. ASTD will again this year help coordinate a day on the
Hill for Chapter Leaders to meet with members of Congress and their
staffs to discuss worker training legislation. Join us Thursday
October 13, 2011! More information to come so stay tuned!