At a Senate hearing on the nation's job training system, Hennepin County Commissioner and NACo Employment Steering Committee Chair Peter McLaughlin outlined important innovations in adult training programs as well as the critical role that local elected officials play in job training programs nationwide.
The hearing, which was called by Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), the chair of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee's Subcommittee on Employment and Training, was designed to identify recent innovations in adult job training programs.
McLaughlin noted that the current work force development system documents the effectiveness of the federal, state and local partnership. "With the oversight and direction of the federal government, counties, cities and states are designing programs that reflect new and innovative approaches to the critical task of adult job training," he said. McLaughlin identified numerous programs, including:
McLaughlin added that his own county provides a range of innovative adult services. These include:
"These are only a few examples. There are hundreds more of these innovative programs in Minnesota and throughout the United States. They are designed to provide a wide range of services in an organized and consolidated manner to link to welfare reform and social services, and to build a stronger economy and local community. And most of them are realizing outstanding success," he said.
McLaughlin told the committee that it is not enough to talk about change and innovation. "It is critical that we make changes in the way that services are delivered. The examples that I have presented here demonstrate that changes are taking place throughout the nation. Most states, counties and cities have begun to make substantial innovations in the way that they deliver services."
Throughout his testimony, McLaughlin underscored the importance of strong partnerships between local elected officials and private industry councils. He pointed out that their effectiveness was the direct result of that collaboration. "We believe that any reformed job training system should retain that essential relationship between the public and private sectors in local communities throughout this country," he said.
McLaughlin also laid out the importance of a program that includes a comprehensive system for youth: "While the Congress may chose to create a single funding grant for youth, it must be funded at least at current levels, and the local flexibility to provide summer jobs to our neediest youth must be maintained. I know firsthand what the summer jobs program means to the young people in my county. It means income, on-the-job experience, resume development, academic enhancements, and growth in the intangible attitudes and habits that employers desire so much. The nation's summer jobs program is truly one of our great successes and it must be preserved."
McLaughlin concluded by stating that job training must be part of a larger effort to consolidate the broad range of education and work force programs. Local officials responsible for the day-to-day administration of the many existing programs know as well as anyone the benefits of consolidation. "As you develop your legislative package, please remember that the more programs we can consolidate under several grants to states and localities, the more effective we will be in implementing an effective, consolidated and seamless work force development system."