Senator Lisa Murkowski issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s signing of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, a measure that she co-sponsored:
“The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is a step in the right direction in terms of getting our economy back on track and improving job prospects for those who have been deterred by this stagnant economy. By supporting more employment training programs nationwide, we are investing in America’s future. This bipartisan effort is a promising sign for Alaskans who are eager to return to the workforce – or those thousands who have stopped looking because of gaps in their skill set.”
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act passed the Senate on June 25 of this year. It is the first reauthorization since the 1998Workforce Investment Act, a federal workforce development program that expired in 2003. Through her work as a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which considered the measure before going to the full Senate for a vote, Murkowski successfully secured funding in the bill to address Alaska’s unique job training challenges in remote rural villages. The bill focuses on providing job skills, training, and education in partnership with state and local communities.
