An America Where Everyone Gets A Fair Shot - February, 2012

We applaud President Obama’s focus on fairness, equality, and an America where everyone gets a fair shot in his 2012 State of the Union address. We also praise the focus on growing jobs in America, focusing on nation-building infrastructure projects and his commitment to train two million Americans with skills that lead directly to jobs.

A fair shot in America also means access to employment opportunities for all who want to work – not just those who can immediately enroll in community college and training programs. Far too many of our nation’s workers continue to experience long periods of joblessness and vulnerable populations face significantly higher unemployment rates than the national average – leading to prolonged hardship for millions of American families. In 2010 the number of people experiencing poverty was the highest on record, and the poverty rate was the highest since 1993. An America where everyone gets a fair shot means that access to employment opportunities, earned income to meet basic needs, and on ramps to basic education and training programs to move up the career ladder should be available to all, even our most disadvantaged job seekers.

The current administration has already taken bold steps forward to make these opportunities a reality – and we applaud their efforts.  At time when our future economic prosperity hangs in the balance, we urge the administration and Congress to work together for the benefit of all American workers. Specifically, we encourage re-focusing on the following priorities:

• Fully fund workforce development and adult basic education programs in the FY13 budget.
• Reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act and include Transitional Jobs as an allowable use of training funds to ensure that individuals with barriers to employment have access to work opportunities.
• Take up and pass measures like the Pathways Back to Work Act to provide Subsidized Employment and Transitional Jobs for youth and low-income adults. Such investments will build upon and take advantage of the existing capacity and knowledge base within the field; build upon earlier investments in Subsidized Employment and Transitional Jobs programs made by other federal agencies, such as the Department of Labor and the Department of Health and Human Services; and provides support for programs that demonstrate capacity to serve as on-ramps to the new jobs being created through related federal actions to spur job creation.
• Provide maximum flexibility under key federal programs and streamline services and regulation to facilitate the development and expansion of Subsidized Employment and Transitional Jobs. These programs include the Community Development Block Grants, Food Stamp Employment and Training, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, HEARTH Act, Senior Community Service Employment Program and the Community Services Block Grant.

We urge the administration and Congress to lead the country back to economic prosperity by focusing on efforts that give every American a fair shot in getting and keeping a job and accessing critical basic education and training opportunities. Contact the National Transitional Jobs Network at ntjn@heartlandalliance.org for more information.