•HRES 689 IH 
(3) employment among workers with lower levels of 
educational attainment remained below prepandemic lev-
els even as workers with higher levels of educational at-
tainment have nearly returned to prepandemic employ-
ment levels; 
Whereas programs that provide work experience and sup-
portive services that correspond with classroom instruc-
tion, known as ‘‘workforce development’’, assist individ-
uals with barriers to employment and help them succeed 
in the labor market, and also provide employers in the 
United States with the skilled workers needed to thrive 
in a global economy; 
Whereas collaboration among Governors, local governments, 
State and local education leaders, workforce, and human 
services agencies, community colleges, local businesses, 
employment service providers, community-based organiza-
tions, labor organizations, and workforce development 
boards provides for long-term, sustainable, and successful 
workforce development across traditional sectors and 
emerging industries; 
Whereas jobs that require more than a high school diploma 
but not a 4-year degree comprise 52 percent of the labor 
market, but only 42 percent of workers in the United 
States have been able to access training at that level, cre-
ating a discrepancy that may limit growth in changing 
industries; 
Whereas, in 2014, Congress enacted the Workforce Innova-
tion and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) with 
overwhelming bipartisan support in recognition of the 
need to strengthen the focus of the United States on the 
skills necessary to fill jobs in local and regional industries 
and in-demand industry sectors or occupations; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:01 Sep 29, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR689.IH
HR689
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 689 IH 
Whereas the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) supports employment, training, and 
support services for individuals with barriers to employ-
ment, including— 
(1) individuals who earn low incomes; 
(2) individuals who are out of work; 
(3) individuals with disabilities; 
(4) individuals who are older; 
(5) individuals who are facing homelessness; 
(6) youth who have aged out of the foster care sys-
tem; 
(7) individuals who are English-language learners, 
individuals who have low levels of literacy, and individ-
uals facing substantial cultural barriers; 
(8) individuals who were formerly incarcerated; and 
(9) long-term unemployed individuals; 
Whereas the more than 550 workforce development boards 
and 2,400 American Job Centers are a driving force be-
hind growing regional economies because they provide 
training, resources, and assistance to workers who aim to 
compete in the 21st century economy; 
Whereas ongoing State and local implementation of the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3101 et seq.) provides unprecedented opportunities to de-
velop the skills of workers in the United States through 
access to effective workforce education and training, in-
cluding the development and delivery of proven strategies 
such as sector partnerships, career pathways, integrated 
education and training, work-based learning models, and 
paid internships; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:01 Sep 29, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR689.IH
HR689
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 689 IH 
Whereas, in 2019, programs authorized under the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et 
seq.)— 
(1) served nearly 6,300,000 young people and 
adults; and 
(2) exceeded employment targets across all pro-
grams; 
Whereas State programs established under the Wagner- 
Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. 49 et seq.)— 
(1) ensured that more than 3,400,000 unemployed 
workers, including more than 212,000 veterans, had ac-
cess to career services through American Job Centers in 
2019; and 
(2) support State efforts to offer intensive reemploy-
ment services; 
Whereas workforce development programs will play a critical 
role in addressing the expected 2,100,000 unfilled manu-
facturing jobs over the next decade; 
Whereas community colleges and other workforce develop-
ment training providers across the United States are 
well-situated— 
(1) to train the next generation of workers in the 
United States; and 
(2) to address the educational challenges created by 
emerging industries and technological advancements; 
Whereas participation in a career and technical education (re-
ferred to in this preamble as ‘‘CTE’’) program decreases 
the risk of students dropping out of high school, and all 
50 States and the District of Columbia report higher 
graduation rates for CTE students, as compared with 
other students; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:01 Sep 29, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR689.IH
HR689
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 689 IH 
Whereas many community and technical colleges operate as 
open access institutions serving millions of students an-
nually at a comparatively low cost; 
Whereas the Strengthening Career and Technical Education 
for the 21st Century Act (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.) sup-
ports the development and implementation of high-quality 
CTE programs that— 
(1) combine rigorous academic content with occupa-
tional skills; and 
(2) served approximately 12,500,000 high school 
and college students from 2018 to 2019; 
Whereas there are more than 600,000 Registered Apprentices 
in the United States, and there is growing and bipartisan 
support for expanding paid, on-the-job training strategies 
to help current and future workers gain skills and work 
experience; 
Whereas the federally supported workforce system and part-
ner programs— 
(1) have helped rebuild the economy of the United 
States and provide increased economic opportunities; 
(2) provide a pathway into jobs that support families 
and lead to socioeconomic mobility while helping busi-
nesses in the United States find the skilled workforce 
needed to compete in the global economy; and 
(3) support individuals who have been displaced and 
provide opportunities for workers to learn new skills to 
access better paying jobs in a changing economy; and 
Whereas workforce development is crucial to sustaining eco-
nomic security for workers in the United States: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:01 Sep 29, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR689.IH
HR689
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 689 IH 
(1) expresses support for the designation of 
‘‘National Workforce Development Month’’ and rec-
ognizes that workforce development programs assist 
individuals, particularly those with barriers to em-
ployment, in accessing the education, training, cre-
dentials, and supportive services they need to secure 
good paying jobs and allows employers to align 
training with the skills they need; 
(2) affirms that maintaining funding and au-
thorization for the Workforce Innovation and Oppor-
tunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) is necessary for 
States to fully carry out congressional reforms; 
(3) recognizes the importance of the Carl D. 
Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 
2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.), and supports further 
Federal initiatives to promote workforce develop-
ment; and 
(4) commits to increasing investment of Federal 
funds to better address the employment and skills 
needs of workers and employers. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:01 Sep 29, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR689.IH
HR689
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS