Senator Murray Secures Funding Increases for Workforce Training to Help People Get Back to Work

Murray: “Expanding and investing in our federal workforce programs can change lives and boost our economy—and I’ll keep fighting to help workers recover from this pandemic and get back to work.” 

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the increased funding for workforce and career training education programs included in the year-end spending package.

“As we continue navigating the economic consequences of the COVID crisis, millions of workers across the country are facing unemployment and struggling to find new jobs. We owe each of these workers the chance to gain the skills and training they need to get back on their feet. Strengthening investments in our nation’s workforce and career training programs is a good first step—but with an unemployment crisis this devastating, we’ve got a lot more work to do. Expanding and investing in our federal workforce programs can change lives and boost our economy—and I’ll keep fighting to help workers recover from this pandemic and get back to work.”

In the end-of-year spending bill, Senator Murray secured $9.4 billion, an increase of $100 million, for the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration, which includes:

• $2.85 billion, an increase of $26 million, for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grants to support the national system of education, skills training, and employment services for workers,
• $185 million, an increase of $10 million, for the Registered Apprenticeship Program, rejecting President Trump’s proposal to create a lower quality, non-registered apprenticeship program that would open the door to low wage, lower quality programs.
• $45 million, an increase of $5 million, for the Strengthening Community College Training Grants program.
• $316 million, an increase of $5 million, for Veterans Employment and Training programs.
• $100 million, an increase of $2 million, for the Reentry Employment Opportunity program.
• $97 million, an increase of $2 million, for the Youthbuild Program.
• $94 million, an increase of $2 million, for the Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker program and new language that expands eligibility for the program.

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