Senator Collins, Colleagues Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Workforce Training and Business Partnerships

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, along with U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Todd Young (R-IN), and Tim Kaine (D-VA), reintroduced bipartisan legislation to help hardworking Americans gain new skills and advance in the workforce and help businesses find the skilled workforce that they need to grow. The Gateway to Careers Act would expand access to workforce training programs, support workers who face barriers to employment, and strengthen pathways to good-paying jobs in industries facing workforce shortages. The bill also aims to help employers connect with skilled workers at a time when many businesses struggle to hire and retain employees. “Workforce training helps Americans gain the skills they need to obtain high-paying jobs and pursue new career paths,” said Senator Collins. “It is particularly important that we support individuals who are unemployed or underemployed. This bipartisan bill would invest in programs that would help to connect more Americans to job training and remove barriers that hold them back.” The Gateway to Careers Act would provide grants to support partnerships between community or technical colleges and workforce development partners such as state workforce development boards, industry associations, and community-based organizations. These partnerships would support individuals who are unemployed or underemployed by strengthening job training and removing barriers that prevent them from completing a degree or credential program and succeeding in the workforce by providing support for things such as housing, mental and substance use disorder treatment, health insurance coverage, career counseling, child care, transportation, and guidance in accessing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The legislation has been endorsed by AdvanceCTE, All4Ed, America Forward, American Association of Community Colleges, Association for Career and Technical Education, Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), Jobs for the Future (JFF), National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB), National Skills Coalition (NSC), Rebuilding America’s Middle Class, Results for America, and Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Click here to see the text of the bill. ###