Legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) to help recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits transition to jobs through apprenticeships and on-the-job training passed the House on Friday with bipartisan support.
The Accelerating Individuals into the Workforce Act, H.R. 2842, would use $100 million from the TANF contingency fund to support state demonstration projects that help connect individuals to jobs through apprenticeships, on-the-job training and other means.
“A job is something that dignifies the human condition,” Curbelo said on the House floor. “It is an opportunity for every individual to make a contribution to their families, their local communities and to our country. This bill is an innovative solution that will give more people access to that opportunity. Through proposals like H.R. 2842, we can help struggling Americans find work and get on a path to success.”
States would be required to meet specific criteria to reach their goals, Curbelo noted, and states would be required to report the outcomes of demonstration projects to determine whether employer-led partnerships are effective.
“This bill empowers states, giving them the ability to take into account their own unique challenges and design programs that meet both their employers and job-seekers’ needs, rather than a top-down Washington approach,” Curbelo said. “This legislation has support from our business leaders.”
Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) raised the question during a Committee markup of the bill: “How do we connect out-of-work Americans with all of the employers who want and need to fill these job openings? As the Human Resources Subcommittee has heard time and time again, one of the most effective answers to this problem is employer-driven, on-the-job training for workers.”
In a letter of support for the bill, the Business Roundtable, an association of CEOs of major companies, praised earn-and-learn programs that help people become familiar with the workplace and learn needed skills.
“In many inner cities, the unemployment rate for young people is distressingly high, but their prospects improve dramatically if they find a first-time job,” the Business Roundtable letter stated.