Statement from U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker on Administration’s Report on Job-Driven Training

Today, President Obama signed H.R. 803, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and announced a new report led by the Vice President that highlights the results of a government-wide review of federal employment and training programs. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker issued the following statement this afternoon:

“Six months ago, President Obama asked that I join Vice President Biden, Secretary Perez, and Secretary Duncan in finding concrete and collaborative solutions to make our workforce and training system more job-driven, integrated, and effective. Today’s new report highlights actions the Commerce Department and my colleagues have taken together to ensure that our workforce is trained with the skills employers need for good jobs that are ready to be filled,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.

“Among the Department of Commerce’s contributions to the report is a new commitment from our Economic Development Administration (EDA) to work with communities on incorporating job-driven workforce development efforts into their economic development strategies. The Department will also implement a data-gathering tool that will help small manufacturers capture their current skill needs.

As a business leader for 27 years, I know firsthand the importance of building a strong and skilled workforce. I commend President Obama for recognizing the need to reassess how the federal government is investing in workforce training. As Commerce Secretary, I have made skills training a top priority for the department for the first time ever, and I am thrilled to be a part of this interagency effort to better equip our workers to compete and succeed in the global economy.”