NACo participates in Capitol Hill briefing on local workforce development innovations

Image of DzYSwYNX0AAFoer.jpg

Key Takeaways

On February 14, NACo partnered with the National League of Cities (NLC), National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) and the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) to host a congressional briefing titled: Love Your Workforce: Local Innovations in Workforce Development. The briefing highlighted best practices at the local level in workforce development and the importance of federal funding for employment and training programs, and featured Supervisor Pamela Lancaster from Hall County, Nebraska.

Supervisor Lancaster, who chairs NACo’s Workforce Development Subcommittee, provided a rural perspective for local workforce development efforts. Supervisor Lancaster also chairs the Greater Nebraska Workforce Development Area, which oversees finances and program services for 88 rural counties.

In her remarks, Supervisor Lancaster urged lawmakers to continue investments in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), a key federal program that assist counties with providing employment and training options for jobseekers and a skilled workforce for local businesses. She emphasized that it takes federal, state and local investments and partnerships to meet workforce development needs in rural areas, and she shared how Platte County, Nebraska partnered with Cargill corporation, the local community college and the Nebraska Department of Labor to retrain and develop new skills in the existing workforce to keep Cargill and 240 jobs in the community.

Enacted in 2014, WIOA is bipartisan legislation that reauthorizes federal employment, workforce and training programs and formula funding to states and localities. WIOA provides the needed framework for a modernized, demand driven workforce development system to meet the needs of business and jobseekers alike. It is a vital funding source for workforce development that helps counties tackle and overcome the challenges facing job seekers and employers. NACo supports continued federal investments in WIOA to increase opportunities for jobseekers, meet business needs and increase economic competitiveness.

NACo Resources:

· NACo Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Policy Brief

Image of DzYSwYNX0AAFoer.jpg

Attachments

Related News

Competitors launch into the AuSable River Canoe Marathon, which has attracted crowds to Crawford County, Mich. since 1947. Photo by John Garrod
County News

Extreme sports attract crowds, help boost county tourism

Athletic events draw participants and spectators to counties featuring unique geographies that inspire feats of strength, endurance and creativity.

Capitol Building
Advocacy

U.S. House passes rescissions package

On June 12,  the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Rescissions Act of 2025 (H.R. 4) in a narrow 214-212 vote. The legislation would cancel $9.4 billion in previously approved federal funding, marking the Trump Administration’s first formal attempt to codify funding cuts proposed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

Business along San Carlos Boulevard that were damaged during Hurricane Ian
Advocacy

New disaster recovery grants now open to support county economic development

The U.S. Economic Development Administration has launched the Fiscal Year 2025 Disaster Supplemental Grant Program, making $1.45 billion available to help communities recover from natural disasters and build long-term economic resilience. Counties affected by major disaster declarations in 2023 or 2024 are eligible to apply for funding to rebuild infrastructure, strengthen local economies and prepare for future disruptions. This program goes beyond immediate recovery, aiming to transform local economies and foster sustainable, long-term economic growth.