Goodwill® Applauds U.S. Senate for Passing Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

ROCKVILLE, MD — Goodwill Industries International, Inc. congratulates the U.S. Senate for passing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) on June 25 with a 95-3 vote. The bill, which will now be considered by the House, modernizes and improves existing federal workforce development programs, helps workers attain skills for 21st century jobs and enables America’s workforce to compete in an ever-changing global economy.
“We applaud the Senate for its leadership in coming to a bipartisan agreement to update and overhaul our nation’s largest job training programs to help strengthen our economy,” said Jim Gibbons, Goodwill Industries International president and CEO. “Goodwill urges the House to swiftly pass the bill, clearing it for the President’s signature.”
Goodwill strives to enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families by helping people reach their full potential through education, skills training and the power of work. Local Goodwills meet the needs of all job seekers, including programs for youth, seniors, and veterans, as well as people with disabilitiescriminal backgrounds and other specialized needs.  Last year, Goodwill helped more than 9.8 million people train for careers in industries such as banking, IT and health care and provided the supporting services they needed to be successful, including English-language training, additional education, and access to transportation and child care.
Like Goodwill, the WIOA aims to prepare people to find jobs and advance in their careers. The bill represents a compromise between the SKILLS Act, which passed the House of Representatives in March 2013, and the Workforce Investment Act of 2013 (S.1356), which passed the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee with a bipartisan vote in July of 2013.
“These and other improvements represent an important step in the right direction to help America’s workforce to shift from recovery to prosperity,” said Gibbons. “This legislation provides access to training, education and employment services, which will help more workers across our nation to find good jobs and train for new careers. Goodwill stands ready to better meet the needs of our communities by providing more job training thanks to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.”
About Goodwill Industries International
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 165 community-based agencies in the United States and Canada with a presence in 14 other countries. Goodwill agencies are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in 3,000 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com®. Goodwill also builds revenue and creates jobs by contracting with businesses and government agencies to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food service preparation, and document imaging and shredding. In 2013, more than 9.8 million people in the United States and Canada benefited from Goodwill’s career services. Goodwill channels 83 percent of its revenues directly into its programs and services.
 To find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at goodwill.org, or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl.

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Joye Taylor
Public Relations Manager
Goodwill Industries International
(240) 333-5523
[email protected]