The Effectiveness of WIA's Employment and Training Services: Congressional Testimony

On April 7, 2011, JFF Policy VP Ray Uhalde testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies about the success of workforce development projects for youth and adults funded by the Workforce Investment Act and the importance of sustaining them.

Mr. Uhalde advocated for restructuring WIA, authorized in 1998 when unemployment was only 4.5 percent. According to his prepared remarks:

"To say that WIA should be reauthorized is not the same as saying that WIA programs are not effective. On the contrary, the evidence is pretty clear that WIA’s core and intensive services and training for disadvantaged adults have been shown time and again to pay off in terms of higher employment rates and improved earnings.... It is absolutely essential that the urgency of deficit reduction not override critical investments in the education and skills development of U.S. workers, especially at this fragile point in our economic recovery with 13.5 million Americans still unemployed."