Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack announced today that he will kick off the August District Work Period by hosting a series of forums on his "Getting Iowans Back to Work" tour. At these forums, Loebsack will bring together businesses, labor organizations, local stakeholders, and education and training providers to discuss the SECTORS Act. This legislation, a jobs and workforce investment bill that Loebsack introduced in the House, creates partnerships to help close the gap between the kinds of skills that workers have and skills that businesses need. Large portions of Loebsack's SECTORS Act were recently signed into law by the President as part of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
"When traveling around Iowa meeting with business leaders, I hear time and time again that they can't find workers with the skill set they need to be able to hire, despite high unemployment rates," said Loebsack. "There is a gap between the kinds of skills that workers have and the skills that businesses need. The tools created by the SECTORS Act work to address this gap by targeting workforce development efforts to foster the kind of skills that local businesses need right now."
Loebsack will hold forums in Burlington, Ottumwa, Muscatine, Davenport, Newton, Keokuk and Osceola. Media are invited to attend.
Background on the SECTORS Act
Loebsack's SECTORS Act links together businesses, labor organizations, local stakeholders, and education and training providers connected to a particular industry. These partnerships work to develop or implement plans for growing or saving that targeted industry, promoting long-term competitiveness and advancing employment opportunities for workers. The inclusion of the legislation will ensure employees on the local level are properly trained so they can effectively compete in the 21st Century global economy. Loebsack first introduced the SECTORS Act in 2009 and the House of Representatives unanimously passed it in 2010. While it was not taken up in the Senate at that time, Loebsack continued to fight for its passage.
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