Landrieu bill targets building workforce

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu introduced a bill last week that would expand eligibility of a post-secondary government aid program to apply to short-term job training programs that lead to industry-based certification.

Workforce training woes, a statewide and national concern, have been thoroughly chronicled, with President Barack Obama highlighting the issue in his State of the Union address earlier this year. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates 3.7 million jobs are vacant due to the dearth of qualified workers.

Landrieu via the Jumpstart Our Businesses by supporting Students (JOBS) Act aims to expand Pell Grant eligibility to support industry-specific training.

“The JOBS Act makes a smart update to expand the eligible uses of Pell Grant funding for short-term job training so we can build a strong and skilled workforce to fill the thousands of jobs that are being created in Louisiana and are currently empty,” Landrieu, a Democrat, said in a printed statement.

The Pell Grant program currently applies to low-income students in undergraduate or post-baccalaureate programs, as well as vocational and technical programs include at least 300 clock hours and last at least 16 weeks. Landrieu’s bill would extend it to short-term training programs that culminate in industry-related certifications, according to the release.

At least 33 short-term job-training programs in Louisiana would be impacted by the bill, according to Landrieu’s media relations team.

The bill derived from Landrieu’s 2013 statewide Louisiana tour – which included a stop at Fletcher Technical Community College – that focused discussion on workforce issues among labor, industry and education leaders.

“We have jobs waiting right here in Louisiana and across the nation, but because of the financial burdens associated with job training programs, many students are missing out on these middle class wage, high-skilled jobs,” said Joe May, president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, in the release.

Louisiana, which economists and researchers say is amid a jobs boon, is expected to add 29,800 jobs per year on average through 2020, according to the Louisiana Workforce Commission. Louisiana companies will need to fill 35,000 industrial construction jobs through 2016 and more than 11,000 jobs in heavy in civil engineering immediately need to be filled, according to Landrieu’s release.

“This critical legislation opens up opportunities for employees who, often times, have difficulty finding work and will give them skills that will last a lifetime,” said Richard Smith, vice president of Workforce Development for The Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance.