In recent years, the pool of resources for human services, including job training, has been steadily evaporating despite increased need. In the case of job training, federal funding for job training has steadily eroded over the last decade. Since 2002, funding for the Workforce Investment Act's (WIA) core funding streams has declined by $1 billion — more than 25 percent. Meanwhile unemployment was 5.8 percent in 2002, compared to 8.1 percent in 2012. As a result practitioners are asking themselves, “How do we do more with less?”
Tag: Long-Term Unemployed
Senate Panel Holds Hearing on Improving Workers’ Skills
It has been 15 years since Congress enacted the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), the nation’s primary job training law. Back then, the U.S. had a budget surplus and the unemployment rate was 4.4 percent. Today, the nation is slowly recovering from the worst recession experienced in a generation and unemployment is stubbornly declining from the peak it reached during that time. Needless to say, the law is long overdue for an update. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing today to consider how WIA could be improved to better develop a skilled workforce for a competitive economy.
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Congress’ Mid-Year Review Reveals Room for Improvement
Twice a year, I sit down with my team and we discuss goals, strengths and areas for improvement as part of our company’s performance review process. It is the season for mid-year reviews and Congress should have theirs. As voters, we “hire” these elected officials for the job and as all good supervisors we should be providing feedback often.
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Congress' Mid-Year Review Reveals Room for Improvement
Twice a year, I sit down with my team and we discuss goals, strengths and areas for improvement as part of our company’s performance review process. It is the season for mid-year reviews and Congress should have theirs. As voters, we “hire” these elected officials for the job and as all good supervisors we should be providing feedback often.
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Goodwill’s Capacity Is Increasing: Can Policymakers Hold Up Their End of the Deal?
Last week, approximately 160 people representing Goodwill agencies all across the country came to Washington to inform members of Congress about how Goodwill helps people who have employment challenges to find jobs and advance in careers. They noted that many of our achievements depend on a public-private partnership that exists between Goodwill and government programs that leverage our resources and expertise. Unfortunately, this public-private partnership is becoming lopsided. Over the course of the past decade, we have aggressively worked to increase our capacity to do more, while government resources have steadily declined.
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Goodwill's Capacity Is Increasing: Can Policymakers Hold Up Their End of the Deal?
Last week, approximately 160 people representing Goodwill agencies all across the country came to Washington to inform members of Congress about how Goodwill helps people who have employment challenges to find jobs and advance in careers. They noted that many of our achievements depend on a public-private partnership that exists between Goodwill and government programs that leverage our resources and expertise. Unfortunately, this public-private partnership is becoming lopsided. Over the course of the past decade, we have aggressively worked to increase our capacity to do more, while government resources have steadily declined.
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Empowering People to Work Depends on Inspiring Change
In the spirit of Goodwill Industries Week, a time when Goodwill® celebrates the power of work, I’d like to take a break from my usual focus on the week’s pressing issues in order to consider important lessons we can learn from Goodwill’s origins. Just as it did for Progressive Era pioneers like Helms, today's success depends on vision, faith, luck and leadership.
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Find a Job at Goodwill’s Virtual Career Fair
Ryan from Columbus, OH, asks, "I'm really in need of a job and feel like I've exhausted my options. I've looked in the papers, on online job sites and through social media with little luck. Is there anything I'm overlooking? I'm close to giving up."
Find a Job at Goodwill's Virtual Career Fair
Ryan from Columbus, OH, asks, "I'm really in need of a job and feel like I've exhausted my options. I've looked in the papers, on online job sites and through social media with little luck. Is there anything I'm overlooking? I'm close to giving up."
America’s Budget Process: A Return to Normalcy?
In 1920, presidential candidate Warren Harding campaigned on a “return to normalcy” promise after the end of World War I, a war that unhinged most of Europe from aristocratic rule and left many more people disillusioned. After the calamity of the Great Recession of 2008-2011, many Americans also became disillusioned with their government. What Americans needed was for their elected leaders to work together to right the ship of state. What they got instead were constant ideological battles, an inability or unwillingness to work together, and threats of government defaults, shutdowns and sequesters. But this year Congress might have finally woken up and listened.
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