I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2601 

To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to establish a 

pilot program to facilitate education and training programs in the field 

of advanced manufacturing. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 1, 2015 

Mrs. TORRES (for herself and Mr. HOYER) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 

to establish a pilot program to facilitate education and 

training programs in the field of advanced manufacturing. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Job Opportunities Be5 tween our Shores Act’’ or the ‘‘JOBS Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT ADVANCED MANU2 FACTURING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. 

3 Section 169 of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor4 tunity Act is amended by adding at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘(d) ADVANCED MANUFACTURING WORKFORCE DE6 VELOPMENT PROGRAM.— 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Under a plan published 

8 under subsection (b), the Secretary shall, through 

9 grants or contracts, carry out demonstration and 

10 pilot projects for the purpose of facilitating edu11 cation and training programs in the field of ad12 vanced manufacturing. Such projects shall— 

13 ‘‘(A) target skills and competency develop14 ment in communities with expected growth in 

15 advanced manufacturing; 

16 ‘‘(B) provide education and training for 

17 available jobs or job openings that are antici18 pated in advanced manufacturing which result 

19 in an industry-recognized and nationally port20 able credential, including an educational certifi21 cate or degree, an occupational license, an in22 dustry-sponsored certificate or certification, as 

23 well as a registered apprenticeship certificate or 

24 degree; 


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1 ‘‘(C) educate individuals about opportuni2 ties for career advancement within advanced 

3 manufacturing; and 

4 ‘‘(D) give priority to incumbent workers, 

5 dislocated workers, and unemployed individuals. 

6 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 

7 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The following entities 

8 in any of the several States or territories, in 

9 partnership with a manufacturer who employs 

10 individuals with advanced manufacturing skills, 

11 shall be eligible to receive a grant or be party 

12 to a contract under a project established under 

13 paragraph (1): 

14 ‘‘(i) An individual community or tech15 nical college, such as a public community 

16 college, a nonprofit community college, a 

17 tribally controlled college, or a tribally con18 trolled university. 

19 ‘‘(ii) A community college district. 

20 ‘‘(iii) A State community college sys21 tem. 

22 ‘‘(iv) A local workforce investment 

23 board, in partnership with one or more 

24 one-stop career centers, that specifies one 

25 or more community or technical colleges 


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1 where education and training activities will 

2 occur. 

3 ‘‘(v) Other entity that would serve 

4 educationally underserved communities. 

5 ‘‘(B) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall give 

6 priority to any consortia of the entities de7 scribed in subparagraph (A) that leverage sub8 stantial non-Federal funding for the program. 

9 ‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—Applications from eligible 

10 entities described in paragraph (2) shall be sub11 mitted at such time and in such form and manner 

12 as the Secretary shall determine, but shall include 

13 the following: 

14 ‘‘(A) A description of the eligible entity or 

15 entities, evidence of each eligible entity’s capac16 ity to carry out activities in support of the stra17 tegic objectives described in paragraph (1), a 

18 description of the expected participation and re19 sponsibilities of the eligible entity, or each of 

20 the eligible entities in the case of a consortium. 

21 ‘‘(B) A description of education and train22 ing activities to be provided that will— 

23 ‘‘(i) develop skills and competencies 

24 demanded by advanced manufacturing 

25 firms; 


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1 ‘‘(ii) lead to an employer- or industry2 recognized credential; and 

3 ‘‘(iii) educate individuals about oppor4 tunities for career advancement and wage 

5 growth within advanced manufacturing. 

6 ‘‘(C) A description of how the economy 

7 where the entity resides would benefit, includ8 ing— 

9 ‘‘(i) evidence of the growth of ad10 vanced manufacturing in State or locality; 

11 ‘‘(ii) the potential for additional job 

12 growth with investments in advanced man13 ufacturing; and 

14 ‘‘(iii) exposure of incumbent or dis15 located workers to new advanced manufac16 turing technology skill sets. 

17 ‘‘(D) A description of how the eligible enti18 ty would employ evidence-based training models 

19 that integrate academic instruction with train20 ing, including on-the-job training in advanced 

21 manufacturing to meet performance goals de22 scribed in paragraph (6). 

23 ‘‘(E) A description of how the eligible enti24 ty will coordinate with State or local workforce 


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1 investment boards and State or local economic 

2 development officials. 

3 ‘‘(4) ACTIVITIES.—Activities to be carried out 

4 under a project funded under paragraph (1) may in5 clude— 

6 ‘‘(A) classroom and on-site experiential 

7 learning; 

8 ‘‘(B) on-the-job training; 

9 ‘‘(C) training which fits into an industry10 recognized competency model for advanced 

11 manufacturing; 

12 ‘‘(D) development and implementation of 

13 registered apprenticeship and pre-apprentice14 ship programs; 

15 ‘‘(E) coordination with local workforce in16 vestment boards implementing and utilizing ex17 isting articulation agreements with universities 

18 and other educational partners; 

19 ‘‘(F) distance learning; and 

20 ‘‘(G) any other activity the Secretary con21 siders appropriate for training in advanced 

22 manufacturing. 

23 ‘‘(5) PERFORMANCE GOALS AND MEASURES.— 

24 ‘‘(A) GOALS.—The goals of the activities 

25 described in paragraph (4) shall be to— 


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1 ‘‘(i) enhance the skill-sets of incum2 bent workers who live in communities with 

3 expected growth in advanced manufac4 turing, and for such workers to obtain an 

5 industry-recognized and nationally portable 

6 credential including an educational certifi7 cate or degree; 

8 ‘‘(ii) develop competencies for individ9 uals with limited experience in advanced 

10 manufacturing; 

11 ‘‘(iii) strengthen community college 

12 partnerships with advanced manufacturing 

13 firms in an effort to meet firms’ needs for 

14 adaptability in training of incumbent work15 ers; 

16 ‘‘(iv) strengthen partnerships with 

17 local workforce investment boards and, if 

18 applicable, local education agencies; and 

19 ‘‘(v) help incumbent workers develop 

20 skills which lead to greater earnings. 

21 ‘‘(B) MEASURES.—The Secretary shall ne22 gotiate and reach agreement with the eligible 

23 entities that receive grants and assistance 

24 under this subsection on performance measures 

25 that will be used to evaluate the performance of 


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1 the eligible entity in carrying out the activities 

2 described in paragraph (4). Each performance 

3 measure shall consist of such an indicator of 

4 performance and may include— 

5 ‘‘(i) the number of workers, including 

6 dislocated workers and unemployed individ7 uals, receiving employer- or industry-recog8 nized credentials; 

9 ‘‘(ii) the number of workers, including 

10 dislocated workers and unemployed individ11 uals, attaining basic skills, as described in 

12 an industry-recognized and nationally port13 able competency model for advanced manu14 facturing; 

15 ‘‘(iii) the number of incumbent work16 ers whose training meets employer’s work17 er-skill needs to enhance operations; 

18 ‘‘(iv) earnings growth as a result of 

19 additional training provided through part20 nership; and 

21 ‘‘(v) other measures the Secretary de22 termines necessary to meet goals described 

23 in subparagraph (A). 

24 ‘‘(6) EVALUATION.—Beginning not later than 1 

25 year after the date of the first disbursement of 


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1 funds under this subsection, the Secretary shall pro2 vide for the continuing evaluation of the programs 

3 funded under this subsection, as required by section 

4 172, and shall transmit a report of the evaluation to 

5 Congress not later than 2 years after such date.’’. 

6 SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

7 The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 

8 as if enacted as part of the Workforce Innovation and Op9 portunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.). 

Æ 


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