By Bill Parry
U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) announced the introduction of the On-the-Job Training Act of 2014 (H.R. 3971), legislation that will help put New Yorkers back to work and improve skills through training programs.
The bill will authorize the U.S. Department of Labor to award competitive grants to establish and support on-the-job programs which connect unemployed workers with jobs and provide employers with training subsidies.
“Preparing workers for the jobs of tomorrow means investing in training them today,” Crowley said “As our economy continues to recover, workers must adapt to a changing job market.”
According to Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, in 2011 more than 80 percent of on-the-job participants still had their jobs after nine months. The On-the-Job Training Act creates separate competitive grant programs that encourage development of new programs as well as provide state and local agencies and others with support to recruit employers to participate.
The congressman was at a Monday press event at the Queens Community House in Jackson Heights. He was joined by Angel Piniero, of ASI System Integration, an IT services and support provider, who hopes that the new legislation will help drive students into careers focused on science, technology, engineering and math.
“We are committed to ensuring passage of workforce-focused legislation that will help close the IT skills gap,” Piniero said. “A workforce development program without on-the-job training is like a classroom without a teacher. OTJ training provides the best instruction directly by the employer based on its specific needs.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4538.
