Statement on the House-passed H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act

April 11, 2024  

Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act (ASWA), with overwhelming bipartisan support. This action marks a significant step forward in the potential reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the law that authorizes several federal programs of high importance for the National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) and its members, including the WIOA Youth, Job Corps, YouthBuild, Adult Education, and Reentry Employment Opportunities programs. 

The bill is nearly identical to the version the House Education and Workforce Committee passed in December 2023. Shortly after the Committee passed its bill, NYEC released detailed policy recommendations to improve ASWA for opportunity youth. Now, as Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee leaders begin to consider their priorities for a WIOA reauthorization, we urge them to consider our specific recommendations to improve ASWA, as well as our broader WIOA recommendations. We look forward to working with Congress to ensure that any WIOA reauthorization prioritizes opportunity youth and strengthens the programs that support them.  

NYEC represents nearly 140 organizations that provide direct services to millions of opportunity youth, young people ages 16-24 who are out of school and out of work, including community-based organizations, state and local workforce development boards, intermediaries, and research organizations. Our mission is to reconnect the nearly 4.7 million opportunity youth in the U.S. to high-quality education and training opportunities or employment through advocacy, convenings, research, and professional development.