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Workforce Update - November 2024

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Federal Workforce Policy Updates

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Reauthorization

Last week U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions staff and U.S. House Education and the Workforce staff held a briefing to provide an update regarding WIOA reauthorization. Staff announced that a five-year reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act has been reached. Congressional Members have been briefed and the U.S. Senate is expected to begin the process to move the bill.


Bipartisan WIOA Bill Text 


Bipartisan WIOA Bill Summary


WIOA Training Services Definition


A call was conducted on Monday between House/Senate staff and a coalition of representatives including the National League of Cities, National Association of Counties, US Conference of Mayors, National Association of Workforce Boards and US Workforce Association where members of the coalition communicated the negative impacts of this bill. A joint letter among coalition members to congressional leadership is being prepared that specifically requests that the training requirement for adult and dislocated worker formula funds, Local Workforce Development Area (LWDA) redesignation and single state designations and state-level set-asides be considered in terms of the broader impacts to local government flexibility.  


TAWB members also are being encouraged to contact their representatives and Texas US Senators John Cornyn (202-224-2934) and Ted Cruz (202-224-5922) to let them know this bill diminishes local control, and impedes the ability of local workforce development boards to serve employers and drive efficiencies. 


H.R. 5861, BRIDGE for Workers Act

On November 14 the U.S. Senate passed the BRIDGE for Workers Act, which had previously passed the House in September 2024 (via voice vote), to provide RESEA (reemployment services) to all UI claimants, not just those most likely to exhaust their benefits. The bill was signed by the President on November 25.

The Brand Amplifier for Workforce & Education

TAWB is now live with The Brand Amplifier for Workforce & Education course in partnership with Full Capacity Marketing (FCM). You can check out the landing page for all the details of the course curriculum, and view the national press release that was released earlier this year.

The online self-paced course comes with templates, case studies and tools to help you build a tailored and doable marketing and communications plan. Click on the flyer here to access learning outcomes and descriptions.

Latest News

Community college “deserts” deter Texas students from getting a degree, report says

Black and Hispanic high schoolers who have to drive more than 30 minutes to a community college are less likely to pursue a degree, the report found.


What to know about Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Trump's pick for labor secretary

President-elect Donald Trump on Friday named Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer to lead the Department of Labor in his second administration, elevating a Republican congresswoman who has strong support from unions in her district but lost reelection in November.


A tuition freeze without more state aid could leave Texas universities strapped

Regional colleges rely more on tuition revenue to operate than flagship campuses. Gov. Greg Abbott’s desire to pause increases could create tight financial conditions.


‘Game changer’: UT System announces free tuition for qualifying Texas families

Officials announced a groundbreaking financial aid program to help more students afford college.


Texas must support working parents

Legislature should find ways to lighten child care burden this session.


Cassidy to Chair HELP Committee in 119th Congress

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released a statement following the announcement that he will be chair of the HELP Committee in the 119th Congress.


Texas names new higher education chief

Wynn Rosser will be in charge of guiding the state’s postsecondary education policies. He currently leads a foundation focused on rural East Texas and previously worked at Texas A&M.


Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick names private school vouchers as his top legislative priority

School voucher supporters say they have the votes to get a bill across both the Texas Senate, led by Patrick, and the House, which has repeatedly blocked such proposals.


Texas Legislature will approve school vouchers and boost public education funds next year, Abbott says

Last year, Abbott refused to give public schools a major raise without passing a voucher program. His tone was more conciliatory after Election Day.


Trump has won a second term. Here’s what that means for schools.

Chalkbeat spoke to advocates, experts, and former education department officials about what to expect from the next administration. 


Workforce Development: Reimagining and Modernizing How To Connect Workers With Good Jobs

A reimagining of the U.S. workforce development system presents policymakers with a crucial opportunity to prepare the next generation of students and workers for a better future.

Texas Legislature

State legislators have already begun pre-filing bills to be considered in the 89th Texas Legislature that convenes on January 14, 2025. Among the filed bills that TAWB is following are:


HB 175 by Rep. González, Mary

Relating to establishing optional certifications for child-care providers participating in the Texas Rising Star Program and reimbursement rates for those providers.


HB 322 by Rep. Guillen, Ryan 

Relating to the use of funds awarded under the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program.


HB 406 by Rep. Ordaz, Claudia 

Relating to notification of the execution of certain local economic development agreements by a municipality or county to local workforce development boards.


HB 801 by Rep. Gervin-Hawkins, Barbara 

Relating to the application for funding for certain workforce development programs. 


HB 901 by Rep. Harrison, Brian 

Relating to a limitation on the salary paid to officers and employees of this state and political subdivisions of this state. 


HB 1147 by Rep. Gamez, Erin 

Relating to the establishment by the Texas Workforce Commission of a workplace soft skills training pilot program. 


HB 1154 by Rep. Gamez, Erin 

Relating to the establishment of a skilled labor task force by certain local workforce development boards. 


HB 1233 by Rep. Guillen, Ryan 

Relating to measures to encourage the earning of credentials of value at public institutions of higher education.


HB 1408 by Rep. Talarico, James

Relating to the participation of community-based organizations in workforce training programs funded by the skills development fund.


SB 171 by Sen. Jose Menéndez

Relating to the creation of a lottery game to benefit the child-care services program administered by the Texas Workforce Commission.


SB 211 by Sen. West, Royce

Relating to a franchise tax credit for taxable entities that operate an on-site child-care center for use by the entity's employees.

Best Practices/Success Stories

TAWB is always on the lookout for information about innovative programs that can be

shared and duplicated by other local workforce boards through the TAWB website.

Descriptions may be submitted in narrative form, such as articles and news releases, or

through the TAWB Best Practices Form that can be used to provide basic information

about your program. Recent features include:


Deep East Texas Jobs and Education Forums

Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas recently wrapped up its highly successful series of Jobs & Education Forums held this fall in Lufkin, Jasper, Center, and Crockett. With a strong engagement across all four forums, participants enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate, share their thoughts, and hear from students. The insights gained from each forum which will inform the development of a “Human Resources Best Practices” resource guide later in the year. READ MORE.


TAWB Partners Spotlight

C2 Global Professional Services was founded to offer a viable, and now successfully proven, alternative to what is available in terms of service providers. We look for Workforce Investment Board partners to commit to working beyond workforce dogma to improve communities, invest in staff development to achieve exceptional customer service and invest in innovation and technology to improve the system.


iCEV: Since 1984, iCEV has specialized in providing quality CTE curriculum and educational resources. iCEV is the most comprehensive online resource for CTE educators and students, offering curriculum for several major subject areas, including agricultural science, trade & industrial education, business & marketing, career exploration, family & consumer science, health science, law enforcement and STEM education. Additionally, iCEV acts as a certification testing platform for industry certifications. Nationally and internationally recognized companies and organizations utilize iCEV as the testing platform for their certifications. For more information, visit www.icevonline.com.


The Conover Company has been developing tools for over 40 years to help workforce

professionals assess and train their clients with the social and emotional skills for success.

Their online tools help you stay focused on outcomes by making sure the assessments

drive training so it is meaningful for every individual client you serve and you get the

results you are looking for.


Craft Education System is the leading education technology company focused on apprentice-based programs, establishing and facilitating on-the-job training aligned with degree programs and work-ready skills. Craft is developing the ecosystem platform for enabling work-based pathways across higher education, employer partners and the workforce system.


Equifax/Carahsoft delivers trusted, unique data, analytics, technology, and expertise to drive innovation and transform knowledge into insights. Equifax empowers government agencies, nonprofit organizations, workforce boards and commercial clients to make more informed decisions, maximize program efficiency, and improve the customer experience. Equifax manages The Work Number®, the largest, centralized commercial repository of consolidated employment and income information for use by the private and public sectors. For customers with a permissible purpose under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”), Equifax enables real-time eligibility decisions by providing verifications of employment and income. Data is updated every pay period (as provided by the employer), so you have access to the most up-to-date information to gauge program success of the individuals who have elected to participate in the program. For more information about the Equifax Products and Services visit the website https://www.carahsoft.com/equifax or contact us at 844.747.6222.


Equus Workforce Solutions: Our dedicated and passionate team of 2,500+ workforce

professionals puts the industry's best practices to work across more than 350 North American locations, assisting approximately 1.9 million job seekers and thousands of employers annually. Together with our partners and collaborators, we work every day to change lives, advance economies, and help communities thrive.


Geographic Solutions is the leading provider of integrated software for state and local workforce agencies in over 35 states and U.S. territories. For 30 years, the company has developed innovative online solutions for job seekers, employers, service providers, and agency staff that enhance service delivery and increase customer satisfaction. Geographic Solutions’ custom software solutions effectively manage all federally-funded partner programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and have been designed specifically to meet the diverse needs of American Job Centers, economic development agencies, human service entities, unemployment agencies, departments of corrections, and educational institutions.


Grant Associates is a national, award-winning workforce development company. Since opening our doors in 1997, we have collaborated with government agencies to develop workforce programs and solutions that create the opportunities that advance job seekers, businesses and local economies, all with exceptional results. At Grant Associates, we know every community's workforce needs are unique. With proven models and in active partnership with government, Grant Associates' mission is to tailor solutions that build workforce capacity, proving over the past two decades that our approach helps a community reach its true potential.


KRA Corporation, a national leader in workforce development for 40+ years, supports workforce boards by delivering WIOA, TANF, SNAP-E&T, and related programs, including initiatives targeting specific employer and jobseeker requirements. A black-owned company, KRA leads efforts to integrate DEI into workforce development. We also lead the industry in delivering a consultative approach to business services, and infuse family-focused principles into everything we do. KRA leverages all available resources, partnering to integrate education, skills development, occupational training, support services, and employment. KRA provides the highest levels of innovative programming, exceptional service, and trusted results for all valued clients, businesses, and jobseekers.


Metrix Learning® is an online learning platform designed to meet the needs of states, workforce boards, and their customers. Learners can assess their job skills, remediate skill gaps, and take over 100 certification training programs to prepare for new employment opportunities. Metrix Learning® offers over 6,000 online courses, career pathways tools, digital badges, gamification, and is integrated with WorkInTexas.


Purpose Co is a workforce consulting firm that specializes in designing and implementing custom workforce solutions and strategies that create sustainable outcomes for people and businesses, including pathways to quality in-demand jobs, economic mobility, competitive businesses and regional economic prosperity, including solutions that address the specific needs of job seekers, workers, employers and practitioners.


QuickStart exists to create world-class technologists by personalizing and individualizing training to address the massive skills gap in the IT industry. Through 20 years of research and data analysis, we’ve learned that a modern learner prefers to learn through multiple modalities such as self-paced online learning, virtual instructor-led training, on-the-job training, implementation and hands-on experience through labs, mentoring, and social and peer-to-peer learning. We packaged all the modalities into a single cloud-based platform called CLIPP.


Texas Economic Development Council: The Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) is an Austin-based professional association for economic developers across the state of Texas. We are the largest state association of economic development professionals, volunteers, and elected officials. Our membership consists of over 1,000 individuals, representing more than 630 public and private economic development organizations, including more than 400 communities. Our diverse and expansive membership shares a common goal -- bringing new investment and jobs to Texas by developing strategies that promote a positive business climate in our state.

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