A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA:

The Massachusetts Workforce Alliance supports the policy agendas of our member coalitions.

In addition, we seek partnerships with legislators, policymakers, and others to build a comprehensive workforce development system. Our current policy focus is on:

• Creating a pilot project that would allow programs the resources and flexibility needed to better integrate ABE and Skills Training services both programmatically and systemically; and
• Ensuring that the development of a"green economy" includes jobs and training available to low-income communities.

THE OVERALL NEED: Massachusetts faces major challenges to operating the highly effective public workforce development system our residents and employers require.

We need to: 

[1] Reduce the number of workers marginalized in our economy and reduce the shortage of skilled workers. This challenge is significant:

• a study completed in 2002 indicates that 35% of all adult residents of Massachusetts do not have the skills and credentials to work their way out of poverty¹;
• data kept by the state's Department of Education indicates that there are as many people on formal waiting lists as are enrolled in ABE programs;
• nationally, we face a labor shortage of 10,033,000 people by 2010².

[2] Put in place the policies and resources required to do the job right. There is a serious shortfall in funding:

• over the past 20 years, U.S. Department of Labor funding for skill training has been cut by 33%, public employment by 40%, and youth services 63%³;
• Massachusetts now dedicates 1% of federal and state TANF funds to education and training for welfare recipients, when the national average for states is 12%⁴;
• in 2000, through the federal Workforce Investment Act, Massachusetts provided just 2,564 residents with skill training -- or only slightly over 7 residents for each of our 351 cities and towns⁵.