Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) today voted to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which would invest in our nation’s workforce development programs and help fill job openings in PA-05 with qualified workers. Three amendments offered by Scanlon will ensure that youth have access to job training and meaningful employment opportunities. 

“Today I proudly voted to invest in Pennsylvania’s workforce – our state’s greatest asset and the backbone of our economy,” said Rep. Scanlon. “By fully funding our federal workforce development system, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act will deliver high-quality job training and empower Pennsylvanians to take advantage of record job growth. By getting more people back to work in good-paying jobs, this legislation will help increase production and bring down kitchen table costs for families.”

WIOA makes up the heart of the United States’ workforce development system, but its Congressional authorization has not been renewed since lapsing in 2020. Additionally, while the U.S. labor force has grown by roughly half over the past four decades, federal workforce development spending has fallen by two-thirds. This funding gap means that essential job training services are frequently unavailable to Pennsylvanians who need them most.

Rep. Scanlon continued, “As Chair of the Congressional Youth Mentoring Caucus, one of my priorities is making sure youth have access to job training and meaningful employment opportunities. I’m proud to lead three amendments to WIOA that will strengthen the invaluable resource mentors are for youth in their career exploration and early employment.

The three amendments offered by Rep. Scanlon will:

• Expand eligibility for summer and year-round employment programs for youth and revise language to better target youth most in need of services;

• Add language for training on how to ensure positive outcomes and service delivery specifically for young people; and,

• Ensure that the Department of Labor’s technical assistance supports employers, programs, and staff that mentor youth.

Today’s reauthorization fully funds WIOA for six years, allowing the workforce development system to train one million American workers per year by 2028. Additionally, it further expands pathways to opportunity by strengthening the Job Corps program, supporting summer and year-round jobs programs for young people, and establishing a new employment program for formerly incarcerated Americans. By helping fill a record number of job openings, these workforce development investments will power the economy and lower costs for working families.

###