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 manufac-
turing. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Job Opportunities Be-
tween our Shores Act’’ or the ‘‘JOBS Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT ADVANCED MANU-
FACTURING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. 
Section 169 of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor-
tunity Act is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(d) ADVANCED MANUFACTURING WORKFORCE DE-
VELOPMENT PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Under a plan published 
under subsection (b), the Secretary shall, through 
grants or contracts, carry out demonstration and 
pilot projects for the purpose of facilitating edu-
cation and training programs in the field of ad-
vanced manufacturing. Such projects shall— 
‘‘(A) target skills and competency develop-
ment in communities with expected growth in 
advanced manufacturing; 
‘‘(B) provide education and training for 
available jobs or job openings that are antici-
pated in advanced manufacturing which result 
in an industry-recognized and nationally port-
able credential, including an educational certifi-
cate or degree, an occupational license, an in-
dustry-sponsored certificate or certification, as 
well as a registered apprenticeship certificate or 
degree; 
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‘‘(C) educate individuals about opportuni-
ties for career advancement within advanced 
manufacturing; and 
‘‘(D) give priority to incumbent workers, 
dislocated workers, and unemployed individuals. 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The following entities 
in any of the several States or territories, in 
partnership with a manufacturer who employs 
individuals with advanced manufacturing skills, 
shall be eligible to receive a grant or be party 
to a contract under a project established under 
paragraph (1): 
‘‘(i) An individual community or tech-
nical college, such as a public community 
college, a nonprofit community college, a 
tribally controlled college, or a tribally con-
trolled university. 
‘‘(ii) A community college district. 
‘‘(iii) A State community college sys-
tem. 
‘‘(iv) A local workforce investment 
board, in partnership with one or more 
one-stop career centers, that specifies one 
or more community or technical colleges 
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where education and training activities will 
occur. 
‘‘(v) Other entity that would serve 
educationally underserved communities. 
‘‘(B) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall give 
priority to any consortia of the entities de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) that leverage sub-
stantial non-Federal funding for the program. 
‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—Applications from eligible 
entities described in paragraph (2) shall be sub-
mitted at such time and in such form and manner 
as the Secretary shall determine, but shall include 
the following: 
‘‘(A) A description of the eligible entity or 
entities, evidence of each eligible entity’s capac-
ity to carry out activities in support of the stra-
tegic objectives described in paragraph (1), a 
description of the expected participation and re-
sponsibilities of the eligible entity, or each of 
the eligible entities in the case of a consortium. 
‘‘(B) A description of education and train-
ing activities to be provided that will— 
‘‘(i) develop skills and competencies 
demanded by advanced manufacturing 
firms; 
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‘‘(ii) lead to an employer- or industry- 
recognized credential; and 
‘‘(iii) educate individuals about oppor-
tunities for career advancement and wage 
growth within advanced manufacturing. 
‘‘(C) A description of how the economy 
where the entity resides would benefit, includ-
ing— 
‘‘(i) evidence of the growth of ad-
vanced manufacturing in State or locality; 
‘‘(ii) the potential for additional job 
growth with investments in advanced man-
ufacturing; and 
‘‘(iii) exposure of incumbent or dis-
located workers to new advanced manufac-
turing technology skill sets. 
‘‘(D) A description of how the eligible enti-
ty would employ evidence-based training models 
that integrate academic instruction with train-
ing, including on-the-job training in advanced 
manufacturing to meet performance goals de-
scribed in paragraph (6). 
‘‘(E) A description of how the eligible enti-
ty will coordinate with State or local workforce 
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investment boards and State or local economic 
development officials. 
‘‘(4) ACTIVITIES.—Activities to be carried out 
under a project funded under paragraph (1) may in-
clude— 
‘‘(A) classroom and on-site experiential 
learning; 
‘‘(B) on-the-job training; 
‘‘(C) training which fits into an industry- 
recognized competency model for advanced 
manufacturing; 
‘‘(D) development and implementation of 
registered apprenticeship and pre-apprentice-
ship programs; 
‘‘(E) coordination with local workforce in-
vestment boards implementing and utilizing ex-
isting articulation agreements with universities 
and other educational partners; 
‘‘(F) distance learning; and 
‘‘(G) any other activity the Secretary con-
siders appropriate for training in advanced 
manufacturing. 
‘‘(5) PERFORMANCE GOALS AND MEASURES.— 
‘‘(A) GOALS.—The goals of the activities 
described in paragraph (4) shall be to— 
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‘‘(i) enhance the skill-sets of incum-
bent workers who live in communities with 
expected growth in advanced manufac-
turing, and for such workers to obtain an 
industry-recognized and nationally portable 
credential including an educational certifi-
cate or degree; 
‘‘(ii) develop competencies for individ-
uals with limited experience in advanced 
manufacturing; 
‘‘(iii) strengthen community college 
partnerships with advanced manufacturing 
firms in an effort to meet firms’ needs for 
adaptability in training of incumbent work-
ers; 
‘‘(iv) strengthen partnerships with 
local workforce investment boards and, if 
applicable, local education agencies; and 
‘‘(v) help incumbent workers develop 
skills which lead to greater earnings. 
‘‘(B) MEASURES.—The Secretary shall ne-
gotiate and reach agreement with the eligible 
entities that receive grants and assistance 
under this subsection on performance measures 
that will be used to evaluate the performance of 
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the eligible entity in carrying out the activities 
described in paragraph (4). Each performance 
measure shall consist of such an indicator of 
performance and may include— 
‘‘(i) the number of workers, including 
dislocated workers and unemployed individ-
uals, receiving employer- or industry-recog-
nized credentials; 
‘‘(ii) the number of workers, including 
dislocated workers and unemployed individ-
uals, attaining basic skills, as described in 
an industry-recognized and nationally port-
able competency model for advanced manu-
facturing; 
‘‘(iii) the number of incumbent work-
ers whose training meets employer’s work-
er-skill needs to enhance operations; 
‘‘(iv) earnings growth as a result of 
additional training provided through part-
nership; and 
‘‘(v) other measures the Secretary de-
termines necessary to meet goals described 
in subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(6) EVALUATION.—Beginning not later than 1 
year after the date of the first disbursement of 
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