RENO, NV – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, held a roundtable discussion with representatives of the Workforce Consortium to discuss her efforts in Congress to assist Nevada workers through increased access to workforce development opportunities.
“As we work to overcome this pandemic, it is critical that we provide Nevadans with the career training and skill development needed to enable them re-enter the workforce and prepare them for careers in the 21st century,” said Senator Rosen. “Workforce development is essential to our state’s recovery, and the Workforce Consortium has been instrumental in bringing together agencies, training institutions, employers, and organizations focused on efforts to help people find and best prepare themselves for good-paying jobs in growing industries. I’m proud to advocate for these initiatives in Congress, and I will continue to push for legislation that expands access to workforce development, ensuring Nevada’s workers are prepared to succeed in any future job they pursue.”
BACKGROUND: In April, Senator Rosen introduced the STEM Restoring Employment Skills through Targeted Assistance, Re-entry, and Training (RESTART) Act. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would provide funding to small and medium-sized STEM businesses to offer robust, paid, mid-career internships, known as “returnships,” for mid-career workers seeking to return or transition into the STEM workforce.
The United States Innovation and Competition Act – which passed the U.S. Senate earlier this month – includes two bipartisan Rosen amendments to:
- Provide grants for worker education, training, development, and entrepreneurship in advanced manufacturing. This amendment is based on the Rosen-introduced bipartisan Advanced Manufacturing Jobs in America Act.
- Reauthorize and modernize the National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program, which is focused on improving the education of the skilled technical workforce by supporting partnerships between industry and community colleges, curriculum development, apprenticeships, professional development for faculty, the development of career pathways, and research on effective STEM distance learning. This amendment is based on the Rosen-co-sponsored bipartisan Advanced Technological Manufacturing Act.
Last Congress, Senator Rosen:
- Helped to introduce the 21st Century Workforce Partnerships Act (S.2670), legislation that would provide federal support for middle and high schools to partner with institutions of higher education, industry partners, and apprenticeship programs to create an education or career training program for students.
- Co-sponsored the Relaunching America’s Workforce Act, legislation that would invest $15 billion in America’s workforce training infrastructure and career and technical education.
###
