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Job Training Legislation Passes Congress; Young Votes in Favor

Congressman Don Young

A new piece of job training legislation, which reauthorizes a Clinton-era act, has passed the US House.  KDLG’s Chase Cavanaugh has more.

The US House of Representatives has approved the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.  The bill reauthorizes a 1998 law, the Workforce Investment Act, that provides funds for various job training programs around the country.  The most prominent of these is Job Corps, a federal program that provides free vocational training for youth 16-24.

“Specifically in Alaska, this includes a number of programs that are funded through the Workforce Investment Act. These are programs like the Alaska Construction Academies, Alaska Technical Vocational Education Programs, or TVEP, Alaska Youth First, or Denali Training Fund, the list goes on.”

The Act also shuts down several programs that have been deemed unsuccessful.  When asked about them, Shuckerow did not specify what they were, but said they were essentially unfunded mandates.

“They just got rid of these 15 programs that really haven’t been successful and haven’t been funded for a number of years, so there’s not gonna be a direct impact in Alaska, I believe, at this time.”

The Senate first passed this bill 95 to 3 on June 25th, and with the House vote of 415 to 6, it now goes to President Obama to be signed into law.