The Workforce Investment Act by Corine Geldhof, Communications Coordinator from Alaska Economic Trends , March 2000 issue. A s the new century commences, preparing the state's workforce is more important than ever before. New skills and new knowledge for workers are demanded, and many Alaskans want to be better prepared.
Employers report difficulty finding skilled workers.
Both new entrants into the labor force and those already there are challenged to adapt to a constantly changing job market. The challenges are large and complex, but new federal legislation signed into law by the President in 1998 changes the approach. The act is the result of a four-year bipartisan effort on the part of the Administration and Congress. By integrating these widespread education, training and employment programs into a comprehensive design, the WIA may overcome the effects of the long established piecemeal approach to getting the national labor force ready for the ever-changing world of work. The private sector's questioning of the value of job training, and the flow of federal funds to institutions regardless of performance may become history.