A resolution introduced by Pennsylvania Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-16) to investigate the effectiveness of workforce development programs was approved by the state legislation Wednesday.
Officials said Pennsylvania spends hundreds of millions of dollars on workforce development programs, but employers still struggle to find qualified applicants for their open job positions and unemployed workers lack the skills necessary to take those jobs on. The state operates several workforce development programs in various departments in state government including the Department of Labor and Industry, the Department of Education, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Community and Economic Development.
“Pennsylvania workforce development programs need to produce positive results for taxpayers, employers and unemployed workers,” Coleman said. “We’ve seen many instances in recent years where good-paying and family sustaining jobs are there, but workers often lack the skills and training necessary to fill them. That suggests there could be some misalignment or inefficiency in Pennsylvania’s workforce development programs.”
Coleman’s resolution directs the state’s Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) to look at the various state workforce development programs and make suggestions on how to improve the programs in order to help both employers and potential employees. The LBFC is a bipartisan legislative agency that conducts studies and makes recommendations aimed at eliminating unnecessary state expenditures, promoting efficiency in state government and assuring state funds are spent according to legislative intent. Coleman is a member of that board.