key domestic priorities in the obama administration and their impact on workforce development bob...
TRANSCRIPT
Key Domestic Priorities in the Obama
Administration and Their Impact on
Workforce Development
Bob Knight
Arbor Workforce Institute
Workforce New York2009 Spring Conference
What Are the Intended and Unintended Results of a Policy?
1. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
• Youth and Summer Jobs
• Green Jobs and Healthcare Jobs
• Focus on Low-skill and Low-wage Workers
• Training, Training, Training
IS ARRA TRANSFORMATIVE?
What Do We Mean?• Sectoral • Regional• Expanding Training• Training Brokers• Public Influence• Key Players
2. Health Care Reform
• Worker Security/Mobility
• Wage Impacts• Impact on Health
Care Job Market• Added Pressure to
Eliminate Low Skill Jobs
3. Enhanced UI System
• Extended Benefits• Increased Benefits• Expanded Eligibility
Pool• Payroll Taxes• Job Sharing• Retrain/Upgrade
Benefits for Employed
• Impact on Incentive to Work
• Impact on Ability to Enter Training
• Better Job Matching?
4. Immigration Policy
• Responding to U.S. Skill Needs
• Need for Unskilled Workers
• Services in One-Stops
5. GREEN JOBS• $500 million competitive
WIA grants• Expectations for
Emphasis in “Regular” WIA Programs
• Strong Organizational Structures Tied to Many Social Issues
• Sometimes Critical of Current WIA System
6. Education Policy
• No Child Left Behind
• Higher Ed Act
• Student Loans, Pell Grants, ITAs
• Incumbent Worker
But Train For What?
• Healthcare Pipeline Full• Some DW’s Stand Best
Chance to Train for Good Paying Jobs
• Basic skills and soft skills issues to deal with
• Older workers• TANF disincentives
As far as the eye can see7. Setting Priorities With Deficits
How Support Lifelong Learning?
STABLE
KNOWLEDGE
MORPHS TO
CONTINUOUS
LEARNING
Other, Perhaps Related, Factors
• Environment and Energy
• Global Stability: War and Peace
• Veteran Services
• Unionization as an Antidote to Stagnate and Low Wages, Wage Disparities, Organizational Change and ???