The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which passed the U.S. Senate June 25 with a 95-3 vote, focuses on strengthening our nation’s approach to businesses’ hiring and training needs and increasing employment opportunities.

ABC sent a letter to the U.S. Senate June 24 supporting the legislation, citing the importance of targeted and accessible workforce training programs to address the expected 19 percent increase of number of wage and salary jobs in the construction industry to be added through 2018. ABC also supported the legislation due to the decision to allow existing programs that provide workers industry-recognized credentials, including craft training programs, the opportunity to access workforce investment funding.

In addition, WIOA will remove existing language that had previously limited certain green job training grants to only union-associated firms, leaving the 86 percent of employees in the construction industry who choose not to be union-affiliated  unable to access these resources.