{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://smucker.house.gov/media/press-releases/smuckers-usa-workforce-investment-act-advanced-committee", "Smucker\u2019s USA Workforce Investment Act Advanced by Committee", "2024-09-11", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "House", "PA", "Lloyd Smucker", "S001199", "smucker.house.gov", "smucker", "https://smucker.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013 Legislation introduced by Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) to create a pilot program to supercharge investment in career and technical training programs received approval by the Ways and Means Committee and now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.\n\nRep. Smucker\u2019s USA Workforce Investment Act, H.R. 9461, would encourage charitable contributions to community-based apprenticeship initiatives, career and technical education, and workforce development programs offered by educational institutions, community organizations, and labor union-affiliated nonprofits.\n\nWatch Rep. Smucker\u2019s remarks in favor of the USA Workforce Investment Act.\n\n\u201cThe best antipoverty program is a great job. The number one issue I hear from small businesses is not being able to find skilled workers to fill their open positions. By investing in career and technical training programs, we can connect individuals to family-sustaining jobs and grow our economy,\u201d said Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11).\n\n\u201cThe cost of college has increased every year since the early 1980s, yet fewer than one in five graduates feel prepared to enter the workforce. Congress has a duty to ensure our education system prepares the next generation of American workers for a 21st century economy. Workers need more opportunities beyond simply a four-year college degree to learn skills, acquire knowledge, and bring their unique talents to the marketplace. The Ways and Means Committee took steps to support more workforce education opportunities earlier this year when we voted to expand 529 savings accounts to cover technical education training. And now, Rep. Smucker\u2019s USA Workforce Investment Act of 2024 will help generate more contributions to workforce development and training organizations that will help positively shape the next generation of workers,\u201d said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Smith (MO-08).\n\nBackground: According to the Work Economic Forum\u2019s 2023 Future of Jobs Report, 44% of individual workers\u2019 skills will need to be updated to keep up with the fast-shifting business landscape in the coming years. A McKinsey & Company article reported 87 percent of respondent companies are facing or expect to face a skills gap in the coming years.\n\nA study titled \u201cSkilled Trades Labor Scarcity\u201d found that almost half of existing skilled trade workers are over the age of 55, meaning we\u2019ll face a retirement cliff that will make the skills gap worse.\n\nAnother report titled \u201cThe Lost Workforce: Upskilling for the Future\u201d calculated that the talent shortage and skills gap in the US alone is expected to total a loss of $8.5 trillion by 2030.\n\nEligible programs under this legislation that an individual may donate to and receive the tax credit are tax-exempt organizations including those under 501(c)(3) and recognized eligible training providers under the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://smucker.house.gov/media/press-releases/smuckers-usa-workforce-investment-act-advanced-committee"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.5354870595037937, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}