Washington Update

Budget Update

On Wednesday, April 29th, the House and Senate passed the $3.56 trillion FY10 budget conference report, largely along party-lines. The legislation passed in the House on a 233-193 vote with no Republican support, after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD) sent a letter to conferees on Tuesday pledging to follow pay-as-you- go rules to secure House Blue Dog support.

The budget resolution later passed in the Senate on a vote of 53-43 with all Republicans and three Democrats voting against it. The resolution provides $1.086 trillion in discretionary spending; $10 billion less than the Administration requested, and $556.1 billion for defense. The legislation assumes the deficit will drop to $523 billion by FY ‘14, from $1.2 trillion in FY ‘10.

The conference report includes reconciliation instructions for health care and student loan reform. Under reconciliation, healthcare and education legislation would only need 51 votes, thwarting a Senate filibuster. The non-binding resolution sets the parameters for spending and tax bills throughout the year and caps the total allocation for annual Appropriations measures.

Climate and Energy Bill Includes Funding for Green Job Training

The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 includes provisions to promote green jobs, including training, and rebates for heavily-polluting industries that are put at an economic disadvantage by carbon regulations. While the bill does not yet specify its green jobs training funding levels, it authorizes the Secretary of Labor to carry out green jobs training programs and notes that it will provide a worker transition section.

Mark up of the bill has not yet been scheduled, but the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment hopes to begin mark up next week, despite a lack of consensus among Committee members.

Upcoming Meetings

Workforce Development Council (WDC) Annual Meeting at the U.S. Conference of Mayors 77th Annual Conference

Providence, RI
June 12-13, 2009

Register now for the WDC Board meeting in Providence! The WDC Board meeting will be held at the Westin Providence Hotel from June 12-13, 2009, as part of The U.S. Conference of Mayors 77th Annual Conference. All WDC members are welcome to attend!

Attached is a draft agenda for your information. To access the WDC draft agenda click here.

You may now register and request hotel accommodations online at http://usmayors.org/registration/. Please scroll down the screen to select the Workforce Development Council link to access the WDC registration form.

Be sure to have a method of payment ready for the hotel reservation when you register online. You must complete both forms at the same time. Once the registration is submitted, the online system does not accept revisions.

If you prefer, you can still complete your registration form manually. To access the registration and hotel reservation forms please click here. Please complete the form and fax it to our meetings department at (202) 467-4276. The deadline for guaranteed hotel accommodations is May 5, 2009.

Mayors will meet on June 12-16, 2009. Below are links containing Tom Cochran’s memo to member mayors on the resolutions submission deadline, the resolution procedures and the mayors draft agenda for your information.

Reports, Announcements, and Articles

New From CLASP

Using Increased Funding under the Workforce Investment Act to Create Multiple Pathways to Marketable Postsecondary Credentials and Middle-Class Employment
by Evelyn Ganzglass and Julie Strawn

This paper discusses how the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) system can use new funding and flexibility under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to implement cutting-edge workforce education and training strategies that can help low-skill adults and out-of-school youth gain the skills and credentials they need to fill the pipeline of skilled workers for jobs important to local economies. It focuses on career pathways as a framework for strengthening employer engagement and linkages among workforce education and training programs; and as a model for improving how training and related services are delivered in the WIA adult, dislocated workers and youth programs.

To view the full report click here
http://www.clasp.org/publications/arra__careerpathways.pdf

New From Brookings

Strengthening One-Stop Career Centers: Helping More Unemployed Workers Find Jobs and Build Skills
By Louis S. Jacobson

Each year One-Stop Career Centers help millions of unemployed and disadvantaged workers find new jobs and opportunities for advancement. Unfortunately One-Stops are hampered by poor accountability and a lack of adequate funding. Louis S. Jacobson proposes a new approach to One-Stops that would increase cost effectiveness, reduce unemployment and underemployment, and provide a more highly skilled workforce. Read More

To view the full report click here
http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2009/0402_jobs_skills_jacobson.aspx

Increasing Employment, Skills and Earnings
Testimony of Martha Ross

Testifying before the Council of the District of Columbia on April 20, 2009, Martha Ross called for renewed attention to programs connecting young people to job training and the labor market, urging attention to program quality rather than just numbers served.

To view the full testimony click here

New From GAO

Women's Pay: Gender Pay Gap in the Federal Workforce Narrows as Differences in Occupation, Education, and Experience Diminish

This report explores the pay gap between men and women in the Federal Workforce and its change over time.

To view the full report click here
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-279