Correspondence

The Honorable R. Alexander Acosta Secretary
U.S. Department  of Labor
200 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington , DC 20210

Dear Secretary Acosta:

The bipartisan Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which passed in 2014, made important reforms to our nation's workforce development system. These reforms make the workforce development system more  responsive to the needs of both employers and job seekers.

Our workforce development system will only be effective in helping Americans find good paying jobs if the system is responsive to employer needs. Congress  made a number  of important reforms in WIOA to support that goal. These reforms included the elimination of the burdensome "sequence of services" requirement and support for access to real-world education and workforce development opportunities through on-the-job learning, pay-for-performance and competitive contracting, and the use of sector and pathway strategies.

Sustained private sector  leadership at the state and local level is critical to ensuring that the reforms passed into law by Congress are implemented effectively. Our nation needs a workforce development system that prepares workers for the 21st century workforce while helping businesses find the skilled employees they need  to compete and create jobs in America. WIOA allows local areas to better meet the unique needs of individual job seekers by enabling businesses to identify in-demand skills and support access to real-world education and workforce  development opportunities to build those skills.

We look forward to working with you as WIOA is implemented to ensure the advancement of an employer­ driven workforce development system. If you have any questions, please contact James Redstone (James.Redstone@mail.house.gov) with the Committee at (202) 225-6558.

Sincerely,

Virginia Foxx
Chairwoman

Brett Guthrie
Chairman, Subcommittee on Higher Education and  Workforce Development

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