▶ 0:05:34The Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development will come to I know the quorum is present without objections. The chair was authorized to call a recess at any time.
▶ 0:05:45Artificial intelligence isn't coming in distant future. It's a tool that businesses are already using every single day. Data shows that nearly half of the occupations could use AI as at least a quarter of their task. That means jobs are evolving in real time. At the same time, research finds that 44% of workers' core skills will change in the next 5 years because of the technology advances. That presents enormous opportunities, but only if we prepare for it.
▶ 0:06:14America's economy's strength depends on whether our workforce is ready to compete and lead into the new era. So, the question is simple. Are we preparing our workers to succeed or letting them fall behind? The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is the foundation of the nation's workforce development system.
▶ 0:06:31It provides funding for job training, work-based learning, classroom instructions, and support for adults and But, the only our economy only works looks very different than it did when we all was first reauthorized in 2014. We have to ask whether the system we built more than a decade ago is equipped for the economy we have today. Employers are are hiring, but nearly 7 million positions remain unfilled. The problem isn't lack of opportunity. It's a mismatch of skills.
▶ 0:07:01More important, businesses are recognizing that demonstrated ability and real-world competencies matter as much or if not more than traditional four-year degrees that leave learners straddled and behind in in sometimes irrecoverable debt. That's why employee-led training matters. When businesses have direct involvement in designing training programs, we get better outcomes. Many employee-led or employee-involved models Americans to earn while they learn.
▶ 0:07:30These models build practical skills tied to real jobs. And they ensure of taxpayer dollars produce measurable results. AI is going to automate some tasks, but also create new ones. An AI-ready America won't happen by accident. It will happen when we align training with the real job demands, remove barriers to employment participation, and hold programs accountable for results. Our responsibility is clear.
▶ 0:07:57Prepare Americans not just for the jobs of yesterday, but opportunities for tomorrow. And with that, I'd like to yield to the ranking member. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to thank our witnesses for being with us A strong workforce development system can provide our workers with the skills they need to succeed, helping employers find the required talent, and positioning our nation for future economic growth.
▶ 0:08:22But we know we've not been investing in our current system for quite some time, and as a result, significant gaps persist. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, or WIOA, was a landmark step forward when it was enacted in This bipartisan success that sought to streamline the complex web of workforce programs, and improve accountability for our workforce systems. However, today many workers and job seekers are struggling in an increasingly unaffordable economy.
▶ 0:08:53Many Americans are looking to further develop their skills and seek new opportunities, and our workforce system must ensure that every worker, even those without a bachelor's degree, can access good-paying jobs and gain the skills required to thrive in today's Last Congress, our committee worked in a bipartisan manner to address the gaps in our workforce development system, and successfully led and successfully led, and then eventually reached a
▶ 0:09:23bipartisan, bicameral agreement entitled "A Stronger Workforce for America Act." This monumental agreement updated WIOA to increase skills development, strengthen the connection between employers and the workforce system, and put more Americans on a path to success. It included more important policy victories for both sides of the aisle, including skill-based hiring measures, uh youth apprenticeship grants, and individual training accounts.
▶ 0:09:52It included several of priorities initiated by the by the chairman, gentleman from Utah, including a pilot program for five states to innovate with flexible funds, which was modeled after his state's workforce system. The creation of new credential repositories in every state, and increased access to accountability for the Job Corps.
▶ 0:10:16A stronger Workforce for America Act was testament on how Congress could put political differences aside to stand up for working Americans. It is a rare achievement when Representative Fox and Senator Sanders are fighting for the same legislation.
▶ 0:10:33Unfortunately, when this legislation was on the cusp of being signed into law, Speaker Johnson abruptly removed it from a end-of-year must-pass funding bill after Elon Musk and his allies launched a social media campaign and torpedoed We're now over a year into the 119th Congress, and we have failed to bring the bill back up to consider for consideration in its original form.
▶ 0:10:57Instead of cementing a win for our workforce and the American people, regrettably, all points all signs point to committee Republicans now going to needless extremes in a partisan direction when it comes to reauthorizing WIOA, abandoning this bipartisan legislation with potential to go as far as prioritizing President Trump's attempts to dismantle the Department of Education by moving adult education programs from the Department of Education
▶ 0:11:28to the Department of Labor. This would be a big mistake, and we're fortunate to have an expert witness today, Mr. Barton, who's administered WIOA programs during this time at the Department of Labor. He can speak with authority on why it would be a big mistake to move adult education to the Department of Labor, and we should listen to him. The good news is that it's not too late for committee Republicans to avoid this mistake.
▶ 0:11:54It's not too late for committee Republicans to show the committee that the committee refuses to put ideology ahead of what's best for the country's workforce development system and those workers and employers in our districts who rely on it. And it's not too late for committee Republicans to take the path that the committee Democrats believed we should have taken over a year ago because it's not too late to advance the stronger Workforce for America Act and to renew our commitment to making it a law.
▶ 0:12:22It's not too late to do that, but it's up to our Republican friends to decide what comes next. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Thank you. Pursuant to Committee Rule 8C, all members who wish to insert written statements into the record may do so by submitting them to the committee committee clerk electronically by Microsoft Word format by 5:00 p.m.
▶ 0:12:4314 days after this hearing, and without objection, the hearing record will be will remain open 14 days to allow statements and other materials noted during the hearing to be submitted for the official hearing record. I now turn our attention to an introduction of our four distinguished witnesses. Our first witness is Mr. Tim House, uh the executive vice president and chief executive officer chief operating officer at the Wireless Infrastructure Association from Arlington, Virginia. Our second witness is Dr.
▶ 0:13:12Scott Ralls, the president of Wake Technology Technical Community College from Raleigh, North Carolina. Our third witness is Mr. Brent uh Barton Patton Parton Okay. The president of CareerWise from Washington, D.C. Thank you so much. And our fourth witness is Mary Kay Mary Kay Morland Ryan, the managing director of talent and organization for transformation Americas at Accenture from St. Louis, Missouri.
▶ 0:13:42Uh we want to thank the witnesses for being here today and look forward to your testimony. Pursuant to committee rules, I would ask that each of you limit your oral presentation to a 3-minute summary of your written statement. Uh as committee members have questions for you, the clock will count down from 3 minutes. However, pursuant to committee rule 8D and and the committee practice, we will not cut your cut off your testimony until you reach the 5-minute mark. I would also like to remind the witnesses to be aware of the responsibility to provide accurate information to the subcommittee.
▶ 0:14:12I will first recognize Mr. House for your testimony. Chairman Owens, Chairman Walberg, Ranking Member Scott, and members of the subcommittee, thank you for convening this important hearing on employer-led training. I'm honored to represent the Wireless Infrastructure Association whose members build, own, and operate the infrastructure powering America's wireless networks.
▶ 0:14:38Beyond advocacy at the state and federal levels, WIA is proud to serve as the national sponsor of the telecommunications industry registered apprenticeship program, and is recognized by the Department of Labor as the sole industry intermediary for telecommunications. Our mission is to ensure a skilled workforce for this industry and to improve safety and quality of work.
▶ 0:15:01We appreciate this opportunity to share our To put it simply, the telecommunications industry faces a shortage of qualified workers. In addition to ongoing maintenance and network improvements, we are implementing Congress's $42 billion broadband investment to close the digital divide.
▶ 0:15:22This work coincides with the rise of AI, which depends on widespread A February 2026 City Group report forecasts $3 trillion will be spent on AI infrastructure by 2030. All these factors signal a sharp and sustained increase in demand for skilled telecommunications professionals. WIA and the telecommunications industry have worked for years to address this workforce challenge.
▶ 0:15:52Our registered apprenticeship program now includes over 100 employers across 16 occupations and has helped more than 7,000 apprentices start meaningful careers. WIA has further acted as an industry intermediary within the sector partnership framework for developing relevant curriculum for the broadband workforce.
▶ 0:16:12We spearheaded training and education partnerships with higher education and career and technical education institutions across the If there is one takeaway from my participation today, it is the value of industry intermediaries for workforce development initiatives. Registered apprenticeship coordinated with employers target the skills needed for high-demand fields like broadband and AI.
▶ 0:16:36These programs grow the talent pool, equip participants with practical skills, and support long-term careers. By blending classroom learning and on-the-job training, participants advance by demonstrating competency. WIA enthusiastically supports the President's executive order to prepare Americans for high-paying skilled trades and the goal of enrolling 1 million new registered apprentices.
▶ 0:17:03Despite the real progress our industry has made, current efforts alone will not meet the demand that is coming. WIOA reauthorization is a genuine opportunity to change that. By preserving state flexibility, explicitly supporting registered apprenticeships and employer-led training, and encouraging the sector partnership model that has already proven its effectiveness. This Congress can deliver the policy foundation our workforce needs.
▶ 0:17:30When paired with complementary federal investments, including NTIA deploying remaining BEAD funds towards workforce these steps would go a long way towards ensuring America has the skilled, credentialed workforce that this moment demands. The infrastructure ambitions of this nation are within reach, and the workforce to build it should be, too.
▶ 0:17:52Finally, as we continue this dialogue today, let's focus on the people and the communities who benefit from these opportunities or who lose out if action is delayed. We share a common goal. Let's work together to achieve it. Thank you, and I look forward to your questions. Thank you, and I'd like to recognize Dr. Rolls for your testimony. Thank you. Chairman Owens, Ranking Member Scott, members of the committee, thank you for inviting me to discuss AI building an AI-ready workforce and strengthening employer-led training.
▶ 0:18:22My name is Scott Rolls. I'm president of Wake Technical Community College. We're the largest community college in North Carolina, serving approximately 75,000 degree and non-degree students. ChatGPT refers to Wake Tech as a workforce engine for our region, aligning education, industry, and economic development. And we're also frequently cited as a leading apprenticeship college with 170 local employer apprenticeship partners in sectors that range from skilled trades to biotech to healthcare.
▶ 0:18:51Uh I often say in our home county that Wake County runs on Wake Tech because of the reach of our technical programs. And in the past few years, we've seen record student interest in our skilled trades programs, reversing prior periods when we experienced student interest gaps. That renewed interest, I don't believe, is accidental. Artificial intelligence is contributing to the rebound in student interest in skilled trades.
▶ 0:19:16While AI is raising questions for some students about returns from traditional higher ed pathways, it's also increasing demands for programs in energy-related fields such as electrical systems and Now Wake Tech is responding by expanding our capacity in these high-demand We're proud to serve as the lead college in North in a North Carolina pilot of a recently announced national initiative called Careers Electric, funded by the Siemens Foundation, to expand the pipeline of skilled electricians.
▶ 0:19:47Efforts like these are strengthened by WIOA and other federal workforce frameworks that reinforce employer aligned training. And continued alignment between the federal workforce policy and employer demand will remain essential as AI reshapes the labor At Wake Tech, our approach to AI education is not to confine it to a single program. Instead, we intentionally integrate, or as we say thread, AI across disciplines to strengthen student competitiveness across every field.
▶ 0:20:18And that integration is already starting to occur at scale. This semester, more than 4,600 Wake Tech students are enrolled in courses across 33 academic disciplines that are taught by faculty who are actively incorporating AI into instruction, and these include programs such as automotive systems and heating and air conditioning. To support this integration, we've made AI literacy literacy a priority for both students and faculty. And beyond classroom integration, we're also formalizing AI competency in ways to make it more visible to employers.
▶ 0:20:49We're building models to support workforce readiness um that will offer AI digital badges that can where students can earn alongside their academic credentials. And these badges will be able to apply AI literacy that can be included on transcripts and professional portfolios. And our commitment to AI extends beyond the classroom. We're also applying AI to improve student support.
▶ 0:21:15At Wake Tech, we have sector-based care teams, a model that aligns success coaches, advisors, and career coaches around specific career fields. And that model has led to record retention rates at our college. And we're now implementing AI agents within these teams to scale support and allow staff to focus more deeply on personal I think these efforts will position Wake Tech to continue to support one of the nation's most dynamic technology hubs.
▶ 0:21:43Cybersecurity is our largest academic program at Wake Tech, and our biotech program support a leading biopharma manufacturing cluster. To sustain that leadership, our students must remain competitive in their knowledge and application of artificial And that means preparing them to use AI as a powerful tool and not a crutch. At Wake Tech, we're developing what we say is AI-enabled critical thinkers.
▶ 0:22:12People who can apply technology responsibly across industries. Community colleges, I often say, are through colleges. Students come through us to reach their desired destinations, ultimately employment destinations. And for institutions like Wake Tech, that responsibility means meeting employer skill targets with precision.
▶ 0:22:37The future workforce will require fluency in artificial intelligence across occupations, from skilled trades to advanced technology fields. And our role at Wake Tech is to ensure that students are prepared to meet that future with both technical excellence and informed judgment. Thank you, and I look forward to your questions. Thank you. And I'd like to recognize Mr. Patton for your testimony. Thank you, Chairman Owens, ranking member Scott, members of the subcommittee. I appreciate you inviting me to testify today.
▶ 0:23:08I'm Brent Parton, I'm the president of CareerWise USA. We're the nation's leading youth apprenticeship intermediary. We connect employers, high schools, colleges, and workforce systems in over 15 states to expand registered apprenticeship opportunities for young Americans. Employer-led training is core to our DNA. CareerWise was founded about 10 years ago by business leader Noel Ginsburg, inspired by the Swiss system where industry doesn't just advise on workforce development, it leads.
▶ 0:23:32Today we partner with hundreds of employers and school districts across the country, from manufacturers in Colorado to global organizations like Accenture that I'm joined here by today, serving nearly over 2,600 young people building skills and occupations across Our apprentices have earned over $37 while still in school, and the 93% are employed in their field or post-secondary education. The average apprentice in America is 29 years old. That's too late.
▶ 0:24:02Apprenticeship is not just a job, it's a foundation for a career. It's not an alternative to college, it's an affordable complement that allows young people to earn while they learn. And for employers, it's not charity, it's how you build a generation of talent. The question before this committee is not whether apprenticeship for young Americans works, the question is is it the right bet in the AI age, and can we scale it? Entry-level jobs are not disappearing in this country, but they are changing and they always have.
▶ 0:24:28In the AI age, more learning will happen at work and more work will demand continuous learning. I believe industry has to play a bigger role at every level in sharing the responsibility for building the new next generation of our workforce. The role of policy is to support scale, and this is where the work of this committee comes in.
▶ 0:24:45We need a system that prepares young people to compete, keep workers connected to their jobs while they upskill and adapt to changing technologies, and importantly, the workforce system must give career changers a real shot to change without surrendering their livelihoods. These are the critical tasks of our workforce system and I come to you today as a practitioner to offer quick set of thoughts about how we can put industry led training at the center of workforce reauthorization. First, let's focus on building sector infrastructure.
▶ 0:25:13We cannot scale employer led training one employer at a time. We need intermediaries. We need industry associations. We need large employer partners that come to the table with their colleagues. The building trades have done this for generations. We have to emulate that and I have seen real promise in a stronger workforce for America Act to focus on sector partnerships and critical skills industry funds. Second, as we pursue employer led training, keep the focus on results.
▶ 0:25:39The goal of employer led led training and on-the-job training is to ensure public dollars go towards training and advancement of a career, not subsidizing low-wage work. Registered apprenticeship is the gold standard of employer led training for a reason. The National Apprenticeship Act and its reauthorization could offer a really critical framework for scaling employer led training across industries.
▶ 0:26:00Credential registries and learning employment records are also critical for ensuring the quality of employer led training so that young people, as well as workers, can support their mobility in their careers from employer to Finally, I urge the committee to keep the attention on youth. AI is rewriting the first rungs of the career ladder, but it is not eliminating it.
▶ 0:26:19We at CareerWise focus on what we call the launchpad decade, those first 10 years of a young person's life from 16 to 26 that can shape their economic and social trajectories for years to The as was youth apprenticeship readiness grants that we strongly support put real emphasis on youth apprenticeship as a core strategy, as well as more paid work-based learning for out-of-school youth as well along the way.
▶ 0:26:42We encourage you to double down on employer led training for our young I'll conclude by saying throughout my years in this field, I've witnessed firsthand the absence of action at time to take great steps to strengthen our workforce system in the face of great crises and opportunities. I have seen how an under-resourced system can serve brittle in the face of But I've also seen extraordinary resilience.
▶ 0:27:06Workers striving to adapt, employers investing and innovating to build talent, educators changing the way they do work like my good friend Dr. Rolls here. The need and the will is there. Let's build the system to match it. This committee has the solutions. These are not Republican solutions or Democratic solutions, they are American solutions.
▶ 0:27:25Reauthorize the Workforce Innovation Act, pursue the reauthorization of the National Apprenticeship Act to pursue its full promise, and focus also on reauthorizing the Carl Perkins Act and building bridges between our career tech ed programs and registered apprenticeships. Our country needs sustained bipartisan focus on these issues at this critical moment, grounded in what works, but reimagining what's CareerWise stands ready to work with you, and I appreciate the time today. Thank you. Thank you.
▶ 0:27:53Lastly, I'd like to recognize Ms. Morley for your testimony. Thank you. Chairman Walberg, Chairman Owens, Ranking Member Scott, and members of the subcommittee. My name is Mary Kate Morley Ryan, and it is my pleasure to speak to you today on behalf of Accenture is a talent and innovation-led organization with 784,000 operating at the center of enterprise AI adoption across every sector of the From our experience, success with advanced
▶ 0:28:23AI requires equal investments in people, in learning, and the technology that they At Accenture, we develop our own people to be AI-ready, digitally fluent, and And I help our clients do the same. I lead workforce transformation, technology, and change initiatives alongside our clients, partnering to shape the future of work. From my experience, to build an AI ready workforce, employers must double down on the following four actions.
▶ 0:28:52First, cultivate a culture of continuous Learning has to be at the heartbeat of the organization. The moment it stops, everything stops. It has to be constant, ever-present, and non-negotiable. For example, Accenture invest over a billion dollars each year on our own learning and development of our people. In our last fiscal year, we delivered 47 million hours of learning. Much of it focused on advanced AI skills.
▶ 0:29:19To date, we have equipped over 560,000 people with GenAI fundamentals in our organization, and over 315,000 with agentic AI fundamentals. Second, employers need a plan for the future using skills and tasks, not just Employers should not only focus on the number of workers, but also on the future skill needs for the organization. Annual workforce plans and job title hiring are yesterday's playbook.
▶ 0:29:48By 2030, employers expect 40% of workers' core skills to change. Defining the workforce of the future is not just an HR initiative, it's an enterprise-wide strategic imperative with people, skills, and tasks at the And third, we need to meet the moment with work-based learning, developing talent at the speed the technology You can't learn to swim from outside the pool. At some point, you have to jump in the water.
▶ 0:30:15Apprenticeships and work-based learning programs put people in the water, where real skill building happens. Traditional apprenticeships have primarily focused on the trades, but apprenticeships have tremendous potential to prepare people to use emerging technology like artificial intelligence in critical areas like And last, employers need to make literacy, AI literacy, an imperative, not an option. AI literacy can't be an add-on course, it must be encoded into the DNA of an organization.
▶ 0:30:43When it's built into how people learn and grow, it sticks AI and data skills should not be treated as should should be treated as foundational for employers and government alike. Rather than stand-alone programs for only IT Companies need to do this for their entire workforce, and the government needs to provide support at scale. The most effective policy actions are those that align workforce policy and employer demand.
▶ 0:31:11They accelerate access to training and create agency for workers to continuously build their skills. Modernizing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act would help improve employer-led training, streamline access to training funds, and improve coordination between state workforce agencies and employers. Modernization would reduce delays associated with program approval and reimbursement, while bringing processes related to the eligible training provider list in line with the evolving technological changes we see every day.
▶ 0:31:42Additionally, policies encouraging the development of portable digital skills passports is a step forward to modernizing our public workforce system. I believe the challenge before us is not simply to prepare the next generation of workers, but to equip today's workforce with the skills to adapt, advance, and thrive as I as AI reshapes tasks across every sector of our economy. I so look forward to your questions today. Thank Thank you.
▶ 0:32:09Um under committee rule nine, we'll now question the witnesses under five-minute rule. I will recognize myself for five minutes. Uh Mr. House, in your view, what happens to the American competitiveness if we fail to modernize our workforce system uh for AI-enabled infrastructure? Chairman Owens, uh to put it simply, we will miss out on a historic opportunity.
▶ 0:32:34As I mentioned in my testimony, there are unprecedented investments in deploying AI infrastructure and broadband infrastructure that are happening right now. Uh but those investments cannot move forward without the American workforce needed to build that infrastructure.
▶ 0:32:55Um in the context of national security and US competitive- ness, uh we're on the cusp of moving from digital AI to physical AI. uh that will be manifested in robots and Uh so, we cannot afford to have the American workforce be a uh towards that progress.
▶ 0:33:23I think foreign competitors and indeed our adversaries are working to enhance those sectors. And so, we must ensure that American technological leadership uh by investing in opportunities to grow this critical workforce. Thank you. Uh Dr. Rawls, uh are you seeing any interesting trends when it comes to specific skill demands from for from learners? How influential do you believe AI might be in shifting learner demand for those skills over others?
▶ 0:33:53Uh absolutely. One of the trends we're seeing this year, as I noted in in the past 2 years, is a renewed interest in technical education, technician program, skilled trade programs. Um for years, we had what I sometimes referred to as an interest gap. We had the employment, we had the programs, too often we didn't have enough students. Now, we're seeing waiting lists that we've never seen before. So, I think students are seeing opportunity there. Uh and part of that opportunity is driven by AI.
▶ 0:34:20It raises the level of all skills and technicians and the demand in in areas because we're going to need more power and more electricity. That's certainly one area. I think students also are looking for opportunities that allow not just either or, but both, the ands, and so that's something that we strive for.
▶ 0:34:38Short-term programs, but also short-term programs that can walk into degree programs and lead not to just a job, but lead to economic mobility, and that's a that's a strive for us at Wake Tech in building what we refer to as ladders for opportunity. Thank you. Uh Mr. Accenture [clears throat] has been involved with digital uh skills passport space as a way to strengthen portability and accountability.
▶ 0:35:04Uh how could interoperable uh employer-invalidated credentials improve alignment between training investments in the labor market Great question. Thank you. Um I mean, it provides transparency, right? I think the biggest thing is it provides transparency across the employers and the and the workers that they're seeking. Um and we see it with our with in the private sector all the time, right? Having a skills profile, Accenture has that for every one of our employees globally, um and we use that to staff our jobs and our roles internally.
▶ 0:35:34Having that available at the state and federal level would be an outstanding step forward. Thank you. I would now like to recognize um my friend from Connecticut, Mr. Thank you uh Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the witnesses for being here. Mr.
▶ 0:35:57Parton, um as acting assistant secretary for um the Employment Training Administration during the prior administration, you oversaw most of the workforce development at DOL uh that invested billions of grant funding for job training each year. Last year, in their effort to dismantle the Department of Education, the Trump administration used interagency agreements to move several large uh authorized under the Education Department to ETA.
▶ 0:36:23In particular, it moved the career and technical um programs over to um ETA programs under the office of elementary and secondary education to ETA and programs under the office of post secondary education to ETA. Do you think ETA has the capacity to administer all these I'm incredibly proud of my time at ETA and a lot of that has to do with working with the incredible public servants within that agency.
▶ 0:36:53ETA has a big mission. It's construction worker really trying to build opportunity but it's also firefighter overseen a lot of programs that serve people on their worst days when they lose their jobs. And it's so when we think about the scope of responsibilities whether that's supporting opportunities for youth whether that's supporting upskilling for workers it's a huge breadth of opportunities.
▶ 0:37:14The agency I believe always works to its great maximum in terms of its letter of its authority in terms of the resources it has but I believe for the scope of the mission in front of it has been long under resourced as our public workforce system at the state and local have level has as well.
▶ 0:37:29When I consider in the relationship between the scope of what ETA has to conduct on its core mission in relation to also what partners we work incredibly close with our partners the Department of Education on title two on career tech ed trying to forge better relationships between apprenticeship and career tech ed systems it's the federal government has great expertise across the board. ETA's capacity is strained in its current mission.
▶ 0:37:58I'm concerned about its ability to really have the capacity to meet the moment in the AI age as is in relation to a broadened portfolio of responsibility. I continue to have that
▶ 0:38:09Well, thank you. I mean I I and and this is sort of consistent with all the testimony today. There is such an incredible consensus out there about the fact that we need to create career pathways whether it's through tech schools that are again administered by the office of career and technical education or comprehensive high schools who again take advantage of Perkins grants programs. I have a ton of them in my district. We have a huge surge of shipbuilding employment growth at the Groton Shipyard and it's amazing.
▶ 0:38:40I mean we're now dozens of regular comprehensive high schools that have set up welding labs using Perkins money that's there. But I will tell you you know, the notion that they're going to be sort of subject to the Department of Labor as opposed to the Department of Education, it just it it does not You know, with the faculty or just the the way you know, the program has been run and I and again I to weakening career and technical education by again diluting
▶ 0:39:10it in an agency that's already over strained as you as you point out. It really is taking this country in exactly the wrong direction. And again, it's not just manufacturing, it's health care as it you know, so many other occupations which this should be career and technical education's moment. And and fooling around with you know, taking them out of the Department of Education as I said it's just you know, totally crosswise to again what we're hearing today from the witnesses.
▶ 0:39:39In addition to you know, what I just described, you know, we also have actual apprenticeship program starting at the high school level through a youth manufacturing pipeline initiative that's there. We have a pending apprenticeship act reauthorization bill. The you know, Fitzgerald Act has not been reauthorized honestly since 1937.
▶ 0:40:03And again, that again opens another opportunity to connect people to the higher skill level even when they're getting their their secondary school degree. Maybe you could talk about whether you know, that fits within the parameters of your experience at the Department of Labor and the Fitzgerald Act.
▶ 0:40:21I One of the most exciting parts, and thank you for that question, of past 10 years of workforce development has been the renaissance in apprenticeship, and that has been a bipartisan consistent focus, and I commend the administration's focus on 1 million registered apprentices as well. The The National Apprenticeship Act mod bringing to the board the reauthorization of that is critical because it's catching up with the field that's rapidly expanding and growing.
▶ 0:40:45It's an opportunity to take a look at the investments that Congress has made, bipartisan investments in the expansion of apprenticeship, making sure that the system is not operating in a silo. The connections between the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act, career and technical education, reauthorizing the National Apprenticeship Act has the opportunity to clarify those connections because at the end of the day, apprenticeship is an earn-and-learn proven model that we need to see across our systems, whether our community colleges, partnerships with our workforce boards, our high schools, and I think the National Apprenticeship Act reauthorizing
▶ 0:41:15it sets the standard for what good is, but at the same time opens up a lot of possibilities to expand apprenticeship to more occupations and reach a lot more people in our country.
▶ 0:41:24All right, thank you. I'll yield back. Thank you. And I'd like to recognize the chairman of the full committee, my friend from Michigan, Chairman Walberg. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thanks to the panel for being here. Um Ms. Morley Ryan, Accenture, as we know, works with companies around the world, specifically in adopting AI, and I sure appreciate the four need areas that you laid out very clearly.
▶ 0:41:50How How quickly are workforce skill demands shifting across Every second. Um thank you for that question. Um I mean, skills are changing. I think the half-life of skills now is is less than 5 years. So, you know, the core skills that employers think they need in in 2030, 40% of those are going to change. There are going to be consistent skills though that we're going to see, you know, no matter what.
▶ 0:42:17Critical thinking, curiosity, collaboration, um those are those are what I would call like the human-led sort of skills that are not going to change that we're going to continue to need enduring. And these have to start early, don't they? Exactly. Yeah, early education. And you know, what's special about our country, as I've also advised other countries on this topic, is that they come to the United States because we have entrepreneurs. We are innovative. We are curious. We we collaborate.
▶ 0:42:46We we go for the big we shoot for the moon, right? Um and I would say, you know, other countries have asked me, "How can we have that sort of American spirit, honestly, in our in our place? We have the money, we have the funding, we've done, you know, what their versions of apprenticeship acts, we've done, you know, essentially digital skills right? Um but how do we get that sort of energy and um culture, frankly?
▶ 0:43:11Um and so, I just want to I want to share that we have that in our country and we need we need to allow spot spaces to scale that um and codify that from a from a workforce uh development perspective. And certainly foster that more, relish it, encourage it, Yes. and accept the fact that uh we have our challenges, but America still is a place that has that in our DNA. And let's let's not waste it. Thank you. Yeah. Uh Mr.
▶ 0:43:36House, uh we know that many wireless jobs, which are expanding all the time, don't require 4-year degree, sadly 6-year degree that we see so often Um how can employer-directed training further advance skills-first, skills-first hiring in your sector because the technical competence has to be there, even though it may not need that 4-year degree?
▶ 0:44:02As an industry intermediary, WIA typically sits at the intersection of employer need and training design. We don't develop curriculum in a vacuum. We work with employers, convene them, and identify exactly what skills, competencies, competencies, and safety standards are required for each occupation before we enter into writing a single course.
▶ 0:44:28That means that curriculum is demand-driven from the outset. When the industry changes, we know first. You move from 4G to 5G, and the methods of deployment change, the the skills required change as well, and the curriculum associated with that changes. And so that intelligence flows directly into how we design and update our training content and keep it current with real-world requirements.
▶ 0:44:59And the result of this is industry-validated credentials that carry weight. And so this is the the foundation of skills first hiring in our sector. The credential becomes reliable, portable, and a sign of competence that a degree may not satisfy. Apprenticeship is one important delivery mechanism for that curriculum, which is structured on-the-job learning and ensures that workers don't just learn the theory, but also demonstrate competency in the field where it counts.
▶ 0:45:29Yeah. I appreciate that. Um moving next door to you, Dr. Rawls, community college education has ti- has time has come. It's never gone. It's always been here, and you have the ability to be fast and loose on your feet, as it were, especially in current technical Um we all needs to be reauthorized.
▶ 0:45:53We need to make sure that a program's good has become a little bit um um fragmented, et cetera, forcing employers to jump through hoops at times and different rules that sometimes don't make sense. Uh can you give a concrete example of how that fragmentation slows down or blocks employer participation? Well, speaking from the ground, I can tell you where sometimes I see that.
▶ 0:46:18I can see that um sometimes for employers, understanding who is eligible for WIOA base support and who is not is sometimes a challenge um and working in in customized training I think sometimes for people who are in practitioner roles, and this is for people who are in WIOA positions with workforce boards as well as community colleges, one of our challenges sometimes is we're really all focused on wanting ultimately employment outcomes.
▶ 0:46:46Uh too often I find that it is challenging for us to easily get those employment outcomes long-term looking at uh not just getting a job, but in what field, moving up, and I think those are areas for all of us that having greater access to that type of data would be important for all of us in the workforce field. Okay. Well, thank you. My time is expired. I yield back. Thank [clears throat] you. I'd like to now recognize my friend from California, Mr. DeSaulnier. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 0:47:14I want to thank you and um all of the witnesses for being here such a overwhelming wonderful mix of emotions of the opportunities, but also the apprehension in this. Um I represent a district in the East Bay of San Francisco Bay Area. It's the fifth wealthiest in the district. The southern end of it has a lot of H-1B uh tech workers. The northern end is traditional refining. Um it's interesting in terms of workforce investment to um industries that are changing rapidly.
▶ 0:47:45So, the northern end, one of the five refineries is closing. Uh two of them are spending billions of dollars going to the transitional fuel, and a lot of the operational things are changing from steel workers, the traditional positions and building trades to more efficient uses, but getting that right and training people is a real challenge.
▶ 0:48:06And then the southern end because we're getting so many layoffs in the tech field, we've got H-1B workers who are there who are adding a lot of value and aren't replaceable, but what do we do with them? Um anecdotally as I was coming back from the national labs looking at what they're doing there, extraordinary investments on AI mostly with DOE grants.
▶ 0:48:28Uh and then going down on the campus to meet with the labor institute to talk about their research and the challenges in the workforce particularly in that workforce, the tech industry. And then lastly I was driving home and I stopped my microwave had broken, went in to buy a new microwave and the salesman we had a moment, we were chatting and I said, "How long have you worked here?" And he said, "3 months." I said, "What did you do before?" He said, "I worked for a tech company." Um so he went from I didn't get into the details, but being a a tech
▶ 0:48:58worker to being a retail worker and it was quite demonstrative between national labs with people who are doing Nobel Prize work to workers at trying to do research on how do you work with WIOA to prepare for the workforce of the future in very different traditional fuels fields. And then seeing it
▶ 0:49:18at the counter of a Best Buy. So Mr. Parton, there are individual things we can do like for the H-1B uh individual training accounts where together we can partner with employers in this kind of world. Um are they a value and the danger is to the chairman's comment is being too fragmental and too incremental in a world that's changing so dramatically.
▶ 0:49:42So those are the kind of transitions where we can keep the best and the brightest that have come to this country with great opportunities and we've gotten a great benefit from, um but transition them and use their talents in a way that benefits Thank you for the question.
▶ 0:49:56Um, I think you described something and as a Bay Area native myself, it it's not one region, but it it's it's a bigger picture that how AI will impact a labor market will not be one experience for any one industry sector and one one I think what you described about how even within a large region, there's sub-regional trends in terms of how this technology is going to create different jobs, but have a adverse impact on others.
▶ 0:50:24I think it's really critical when we think about our policies and the individual funds that are there to support individuals to transition and and find new opportunities in careers, that we are also using our federal dollars to support what I would call the critical sector-based infrastructure that's needed to manage these transitions. That's able to actually take the skills of someone who's in one field and apply it to another.
▶ 0:50:47And I'll just at at quickly describe which this connection between both what we would traditionally call technicians in trades and technology is one of the most important emerging trends I believe that we need to seize the opportunity on, whether that's the focus on or the reality that humans in the loop and how they get take their skills and apply those new technologies.
▶ 0:51:10That's the power of AI to create productivity gains, competitiveness for American manufacturing and production that is really critical for how what these new opportunities would look like. Having the software engineer stand next to the manufacturing technician is something that was once what I think a lot of the work in manufacturing looked like with the skilled workers and the engineers standing next to to each other. I think your point about how you can take folks with tech skills, find ways to deploy them in other industry sectors.
▶ 0:51:39We're doing that with our work in CareerWise. How AI is impacting healthcare delivery. I think that's critical, but we have to build this infrastructure of sector-based partnerships. That's not a one employer at a time solution. That is something I think as well really put an emphasis on. That's something that has been an unfunded mandate that we need to deal with in our workforce system. Yeah, sitting here I'm I'm actually less apprehensive and still apprehensive about the traditional building trade trades sort of steel worker than I am about people with graduate degrees.
▶ 0:52:09Uh because you can see it in the layoffs and the tech companies saying, "Well, we're really we're going to replace all these people, but I'm not sure where connection is. And I'm not sure if that population level of anxiety is demonstrated in that anecdotal story. Um we are helping with in what we're doing with the Workforce Investment Act. Although having said that, I think and Mr. Chairman and uh ranking member, I do think we've worked together really well and I hope we can continue to do that with a sense of urgency.
▶ 0:52:41Thank you. Thank you so much. Now I'd like to recognize recognize my friend from Guam, Mr. Moylan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks to our witnesses. Obviously, you really made it pretty clear. The age of AI is here and it's not going away.
▶ 0:52:55So and now you're coming before us and it's really helpful to see what Congress should do uh to include some tailor support for small, especially rural businesses and how we want to make that employer-driven training uh that we need to survive need to provide them.
▶ 0:53:14And to do that, you mentioned uh reauthorization of WIOA as well as and we should be focusing on the targeted approaches and avoid avoiding this So uh we need to do this quickly as you mentioned and uh for our support of our small businesses, our rural remote communities, especially territories. Like the island of of Guam and uh being in the second island chain in this Indo-Pacific area.
▶ 0:53:43What we need to do uh uh is to support our national defense, train our workforce, and get everybody ready for the defense of our nation and the protection of our communities. So, Dr. Ross, think of some having the ability to have flexible and how this would enhance or you can enhance the emerging industries like enhancing cybersecurity or AI.
▶ 0:54:12Thank you for the question. You know, for us at the community college, ultimately, I think our superpowers we have to be nimble. We have to move in different directions and at different times we will see different programs that are emerging in different ways. For us right now, the the jobs in healthcare, the jobs in technician areas, that's where we put a lot of investment.
▶ 0:54:30So, for us at the community college level, having that type of flexibility is important so we can respond to the to the trends of the Um I think that's where employer led becomes so important because for us, it's about hitting targets. And for us, it cannot be targets that we're imagining. They have to be realistic targets cuz if we imagine them for our students, we're not providing a service to them.
▶ 0:54:54So, that's why I think, you know, the flexibility for us to be nimble but also the ability and and using our employers, which are the destinations for our students, as the targets for what we're trying to hit is so important and I think that's where, you know, that part of it with WIOA is very important. Thank you and and continuing on that with that.
▶ 0:55:15So, how could Congress better reform WIOA to allow community colleges to fully leverage these programs to support the workforce innovation? I'd say a couple of things. I mean, I think at the state level there are funds which the state can pull out for specific innovation. Sometimes at the local level it can be a little more challenging, I believe, because, you know, they are following particular performance metrics, and sometime and nothing wrong with that.
▶ 0:55:43That's, you know, to make sure we're being responsible and accountable. But, when you know you have to hit particular metrics and targets, you do what you've always known. You don't do things that are new and different. And we're living in a in a world where more of thinking outside the box is a little more required. Um so, I think having that form of flexibility at the local level, I also think, you know, the role for community colleges is going to be important. Um in WIOA legislation, community colleges are eligible training providers.
▶ 0:56:14I actually think we're more than that. I think we're the backbone of the American workforce development system. And so, I think, you know, particularly speaking out to the role that community colleges play in working with the WIOA system, would be an important way of making sure that we're able to respond to the needs that our country needs in workforce development right now. Uh thank you. And Ms. uh Morley Bryan, uh we know our current law was not written uh to address AI.
▶ 0:56:42And so, what are the most significant administrative barriers employers face when attempting to use these workforce funds? And what do we need to do to more modern uh WIOA and operate it at a speed of AI? Thank you for that question.
▶ 0:57:02I think it's modernizing the ETPL, the the training provider list, um making that, you know, what I would say more frequently updated, um including AI as a priority from a learning perspective, um actually scaling and and investing more in the programs that we know already work, cuz we do have we do have uh work and learn program or learn and earn programs that we know already work.
▶ 0:57:26Instead of doing more small pilots, we need to invest in the things that that and make it easier to invest in those things that work. Um and I think also um you know, looking at more performance-based funding um to scale. So, yeah. Thank you for that Thank you. Mr.
▶ 0:57:44House, I'll just give you a little bit time just to elaborate more on the apprenticeship role uh for for our new and emerging sectors, Uh sure, thank you for the question, Congressman.
▶ 0:57:58Um Our experience as an industry intermediary and national sponsor of is that um we can work very closely with a rapidly changing uh industry and our and meet what our employer needs by addressing related technical instruction uh curriculum that would support uh and
▶ 0:58:28and training on the job. And we found that uh in doing so and and with registered apprenticeship being a a world-renowned, time-tested system Thank Thank you very much, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, witnesses. Thank Thank you. I'd like to recognize my friend from Georgia, Ms. McBath. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 0:58:50Uh thank you uh to the ranking member uh Adams and to our witnesses for taking the time with this uh to be with us today. I have already read your testimonies. The quickest way to strengthen employer-led training for AI and other growing sectors of our economy is to pass the bipartisan Stronger Workforce for America Act and increase funding for workforce development programs that are proven to get Americans the skills that they need to get good jobs and to keep them.
▶ 0:59:19Almost every decent job requires some sort of credential, certificate, or degree beyond a high school diploma. And most will require workers to gain skills as they advance in their careers. Despite the fact that most Americans do not go to college, the federal government spends only a fraction on workforce development and on the job training programs compared to what they spend on our university systems.
▶ 0:59:45Congress must support job training and workforce development programs the same way that it supports our university Fact of the matter is that you do not have to go to college to be successful. It certainly helps, but it's not the only path to a good life. Congress sends the opposite message to the American people with these vastly different funding levels.
▶ 1:00:10Part of the reason why there's so much loan debt is because Americans have been told by both parties and our society for years that the only way that they can be successful is to go to college. Students were told that if they just got a four-year college degree, that the jobs would be there.
▶ 1:00:28But often times we see every single day those jobs are not And since most Americans can't afford to go to college on their own, they turn to And the less money you have, the riskier you are to uh to give a loan to be given a loan.
▶ 1:00:45Meaning the only way to get one is to work with lenders offering predatory interest rates as high as 15 and 20% pushing contracts that are easy to sign, but next to impossible for these students to pay off. The system is rigged against the very people that it's supposed to be helping. Those who don't have the money to get the skills necessary to move into a higher income level. It's a cycle and it never ends.
▶ 1:01:14And it never ends because Congress yes, my colleagues and I, we allow it to We should be using this time to mark up the Strengthening Workforce for America Act, a package of bills that this committee has been trying to get done since before I came to Congress 7 years A package of bills that's sponsored by members from both parties, including the TRAIN Act, my bill to authorize and improve the Strengthening Community College Training
▶ 1:01:44Grant that provides hundreds of millions of dollars to over 200 community colleges around the country to support sector partnerships between schools and employers in fields like advanced manufacturing and AI. DOL recently announced that they'll be accepting applications for the sixth round of funding until May 20th later this year, which I would like to submit digitally for the record. No objection. No objection. Thank you. Dr.
▶ 1:02:12Ralls, can you briefly talk about why it is so important for Congress to authorize and maintain funding for community colleges through federal programs like the Strengthening [clears throat] Community College Colleges Training Act. Well, thank you for the question. As I said before, I I do believe, I'm a little biased, that community colleges are the backbone of the American workforce development system.
▶ 1:02:35I think we're unique in that we um we work between what has traditionally been a job training box in a workforce development and education, and we're uniquely capable of bridging because people don't want just jobs, they want They want the opportunity to be able to quickly get a job, but then to take skills and move them into education, and then to move up and get promotions.
▶ 1:02:59And I think community colleges are uniquely created to be uh to bridge the traditional worlds of workforce development and higher And I believe that we are the answer to many of the workforce challenges that that faces right now, and we're also the access points. Um we take great pride at Wake Tech that, you know, some colleges take pride in how few students they take.
▶ 1:03:25And we take great pride in that we take the top 100% of And our ability to inclusively support people in this time of transition, I think community colleges are uniquely prepared to do. And thank you. I agree with you as well. This is a great program that's supported by both parties, and this is just only one example. There's so much that we could be doing together.
▶ 1:03:48But instead of really doing it, we've been in hearing after hearing discussing that are ready to go right this second, but are pushed aside in favor of partisan bills that have no real chance of ever getting 60 votes in the Senate and being signed into law. Well, thank you so much, and I yield. Thank you. I'd like to recognize my friend from Wisconsin, Mr. Grothman. Thank you. Uh first of all, I just a comment on the last thing.
▶ 1:04:16I I've been here for 11 years, and I think the whole time I've been here, the party that's been leading the charge for what I'll call a skills-based education, and what I guess what you refer to as community college in Wisconsin, we refer to as technical college, has largely been a Republican thing. And I think the guidance counselors who encourage children to get some general degree, four-year degree, are almost uniformly liberal Democrats.
▶ 1:04:43I you know, it's not I don't think it's both parties responsible for this, but uh there's no question we'd be better off with more people in technical college and less in four-year. Now, Mr. House, uh general question. We hear often hear that workforce programs are slow and compliance heavy. From your members' perspective, what makes federal training uh programs difficult to navigate?
▶ 1:05:10Congressman, thank you for the Too many disconnected programs to sort The federal workforce development system is not one system, but dozens of separate programs targeting different population sectors and localities. Heavy compliance and reporting requirements. Employers consistently cite the administrative burden of federal programs.
▶ 1:05:37Particularly documentation, performance tracking, and reporting as a deterrent. I think our role as an intermediary is particularly helpful with those kinds of challenges. Constant regulatory changes also create uncertainty. Federal workforce rules can shift dramatically between And that creates unpredictability and certainty for employers. Okay.
▶ 1:06:05In general, do you feel in so far as you're going to put more money at the technical colleges in the country, it'd be better off coming from the state government without so many burdensome regulations than coming from the federal Okay.
▶ 1:06:25I shifting gears a bit, you mentioned that the Wireless Infrastructure Association is recognized as a sponsor of the national is recognized as a sponsor of national sponsor of registered apprenticeships by the Department of Labor. Can you talk about that program and how it works under WIOA? I can talk about the program in the sense that it has rapidly expanded in a in a very short period of time.
▶ 1:06:51We've been able to scale it from zero occupations to 16 occupations. We have 113 now participating employers and over 7,000 apprentices have moved through the through the program. I think it's a great success story. our employers, however, uh choose not to pursue uh funding through WIOA uh because of some of the administrative burdens that I just mentioned.
▶ 1:07:17Uh so, our experience with the with WIOA for uh participants in that program is is limited uh because of the exact feedback that we we got around uh these these burdens. Okay, and my next question is maybe a little repetitive, but um and this is for Dr. Rolls. Uh there are administrative requirements under Are there administrative requirements under WIOA that slow down innovation at the local level?
▶ 1:07:46For me at the community colleges, we don't receive direct funding from WIOA, but I do know that WIOA sometimes there is a um challenges. As I mentioned before, the performance requirements um often times speak to process and not ultimate outcomes. That's a challenge for all of us in being able to determine what are the ultimate employment goals that we're trying to achieve. What's the mobility? What's the the uh wage progression? And so, I do think there challenges that WIOA faces, but we all face in that that regard as well. Okay.
▶ 1:08:15Uh just one more general comment on the differences between a four-year university and what in Wisconsin we call a technical college. It's sometimes inferred that a four-year university isn't for everybody. Like not everybody could graduate. I think right now we have dumbed down the requirements for a four-year degree such that anybody can get a four-year degree. And when I think of some of the people who have them, quite frankly, back home that I've met, I would almost say that anybody can get a master's degree. Right?
▶ 1:08:45Uh and when you look at some of the technical college degrees, nursing, for example, welding, I think there are a lot of people in society who don't have the natural skills to be able to do that. So, right now, I I would say it it shows more if you can get a technical college degree with skills than some vague communication type of degree on a four-year level.
▶ 1:09:10Those are the people who anybody passes in the tech college, you really have to learn something. So, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. I'd like to now recognize my friend from Arizona, Ms. Grijalva. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Today we're focused on building an AI-ready workforce through employer-led training and innovative apprenticeship pathways. But this committee has already produced a bipartisan blueprint to do just that.
▶ 1:09:36Last Congress, a stronger Workforce for America Act was passed by a vote of 378 to 26, a historic consensus on how to modernize our work workforce system for the challenges ahead. The tools were clear, mandatory investments in youth apprenticeships, stronger employer-led training models, and sector partnership designed to respond to dynamic dynamically to labor market shifts, including AI-driven disruption.
▶ 1:10:03The question before us today is not whether we know what works, it's whether we will follow through. If ASWA had been enacted, the lower-income communities would likely have benefited in several structural, if not programmatic, ways. The bill wasn't simply about training, it was about re-aligning the workforce system towards wage mobility, employer demand, and mandatory investment stability.
▶ 1:10:24For districts like mine, it would have meant paid apprenticeships for our students, predictable workforce funding for local providers, and real partnerships between Southern Arizona employers and educators, creating pathways to high-skill, high-wage jobs that many families in our community urgently need. Because if we fail to scale what works, lower-income communities will feel the consequences first. Um Mr.
▶ 1:10:48Parton, given your experience in scaling apprenticeships at CareerWise, and your prior leadership at the U.S. Department of Labor, I'd like to ask you directly whether these reforms represent the kind of adaptive capacity workers need to thrive in an AI economy. Yes. Yeah.
▶ 1:11:06Uh the youth apprenticeship readiness grants, for example, for an organization like ours that works closely with industry uh as well as education partners to set up these innovative apprenticeship pathways would have been a down payment and a serious commitment from the nation to the future of our young people that you don't have to choose between work or college, but you have a clear earn and learn path that leads to not just a job and a career.
▶ 1:11:30Yeah, it was in as well that 65 million was included in mandatory funding um for the youth apprenticeship readiness grant, and I know that that would have made huge impacts in our communities. Um from your experience at CareerWise um and based on what you have seen in the field, what are the essential components of high-quality youth apprenticeship programs, and how important is sustained federal investment like YARG in ensuring that these programs serve both students and employers effectively?
▶ 1:11:57What what sets I think youth apprenticeship apart from other types of job training is that it's industry-led, not industry-advised. It's built around a job and a real career. And but I think what's critical to recognize is through through our apprenticeships that start in high school, often juniors or seniors or right after they graduate, young people are earning while they learn. They're learning skills on the job, but they're also earning postsecondary credentials, college credit, in some cases degrees. North Carolina, where Dr. Rawls comes from, has been a leader in this space.
▶ 1:12:26The partnership we have with Accenture is not just building skills, but actually using those day-to-day, not having to take out debt, and most importantly, being able to make informed decisions about where they want to go with their future, about if they want to invest in higher education, where do they want to invest, and that work experience to launch their careers is really critical. And giving them the opportunity to explore those careers while they're in high school gives them that flexibility to like, well, maybe this isn't what I want to do and let me focus on something else.
▶ 1:12:55Um based on your experience, are sector partnerships one of the most effective employer-led tools we have in preparing workers for technological disruption? And what risk do we take if Congress fails to codify them? Thank you for that. Again, the short answer is yes. You you spoke already well to the fact that many questions have come up about how to integrate all these different funding streams or how to deal with the different realities in one community one industry versus another. The answer is building this infrastructure that can be nimble.
▶ 1:13:24The employers are at the table, the education partners are at the table, but it's about this infrastructure for how we scale employer-led training. We cannot sell our way to scale. We cannot do this one employer at a time. We need these durable industry partnerships that can be nimble and that can ensure that there's clear signals about how we use these various sources of funds to the best impact. Yeah, and I think that we all have examples in our own communities of how these youth apprenticeship programs have worked, but they're one-off ones.
▶ 1:13:53It's a certain school that works with a certain company. And when we provide the infrastructure support federally, it allows the flexibility for everyone to be able to do what we know works. And so I hope um we'll continue to act with that in mind. Thank you and I yield back. Thank you. Well, now I'd like to rec- uh recognize my friend from Missouri, uh Ms. Underwood. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:14:16And thank you to the witnesses for appearing here I'm very interested in what our nation's workforce development system can do to meet the moment uh regarding AI training. AI has enormous potential in many different areas of our economy as long as employees possess the skills to unlock that potential. In our market economy, businesses need to be up-to-date with consumer trends and technological advantages.
▶ 1:14:44They cannot be afraid to embrace innovation to remain competitive. However, there is a learning curve for employers and employees in AI exposed industries and occupations who wish to develop to adopt AI. Some small business owners and workers may not be as tech-savvy as others and risk being left behind. In Missouri, a a company's AI usage has increased dramatically over the past 2 and 1/2 years.
▶ 1:15:13In September 2023, 3.1% of Missouri employers reported using AI. By July 2025, that figure had more than tripled to 10.5% exceeding the national average. With this growth comes increased demand for trained, highly skilled workers to deploy AI.
▶ 1:15:32There's also an increased demand for AI workers, engineers, and electrical As AI continues to expand, American employers and employees need effective and continual AI training to remain competitive. AI could provide more high-paying jobs and could be a net job creator for our country, but our workforce development system must ensure American workers are qualified are qualified for these new job opportunities. Ms.
▶ 1:15:59Ryan, I'm I'm I'm aware that Missouri already has some great AI success stories. From your perspective, what are some examples of effective employer education AI partnerships in Missouri that can be that that are are successful at keeping pace with AI development, and what can we policy makers learn from those success stories? Thank you for the question. Yeah, I'm not going to speak exactly to my clients or specific employers.
▶ 1:16:27Just I don't want to I want to make sure I have their permission, but I would say what we see in financial services and professional services right now is is some of what I talked about in my opening statement. The sort of, you know, AI fluency for all of their employees and then tiered fluency at different levels depending on the role. Um, healthcare is actually moving the fastest in in Missouri. I think that might be part of it. Um, since we have so many uh nation-nationwide healthcare headquarters in the state. Um, and it's out of necessity to serve folks both in urban areas, but also rural areas.
▶ 1:16:57So, I would say healthcare is a space to to look to um where we see, you know, work and learn or learn and earn programs, apprenticeship programs, as well as people moving up from a wage perspective. Um, and then And then finally manufacturing. Um, we're seeing a lot actually in your district as well, right? Um, where folks are getting much more hands-on, right?
▶ 1:17:17They're leveraging the community colleges, they're they're leveraging technical colleges um at a scale that is absolutely needed to provide the AI infrastructure we need in the in the uh in the state and in the country. Oh, that's great. Um, in and uh Ms. Ryan, as you know, this committee is pursuing WIOA reauthorization. My congressional district includes many rural communities. Uh, and I believe any WIOA authorization uh cannot overlook workforce trends in rural Missouri.
▶ 1:17:48how are rural Missouri communities faring compared to metropolitan areas when it comes to workforce access and training capacity? It's a great question. I'm not fully equipped to answer it, but I will share what I what I'm aware of. I think, you know, there's always an opportunity to provide more what I would say these apprenticeship opportunities, right? The registered apprenticeship programs, especially in the rural areas. And I know that we're building some infrastructure actually in your district. Um, and maybe um in partnership with Tim House's organization.
▶ 1:18:16Um, but you know, we need those earn and learn programs um to build those skills in rural areas where we are going to have this infrastructure. If we don't have those programs, we actually won't have the talent to build the infrastructure we need for our country. Oh, thank you. Mr. House, I have 40 seconds left if you'd care to comment.
▶ 1:18:37No, I I would just echo what what she said is it's critically important for us to continue to uh build these programs and attract new entrants uh uh to have the success that we need in building infrastructure. Great. Thank you. I yield back. Thank you. I now would like to uh recognize my friend from Florida, Mr. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um you know, a long time ago I was in the software business.
▶ 1:19:02I retired uh it'll be 12 years ago next month, and it's extraordinary to see how much that industry has changed. I've never missed it, um but but I see it in my children, you know, who are now taking advantage of tools that 12 years ago, as I was creating software that frankly AI might have been able to do for me without us having to do it. Um and I see both the upside and and the risks of it.
▶ 1:19:27But one of the biggest risks is that the technology outstrips our employees' ability to leverage it usefully. So, I I've got a few questions. Uh Mr. House, technology in your sector can evolve every 12 to 24 months, and I may be being generous in giving it that long of a time. Um I think the adoption of AI has been the fastest technology adoption ever in history when you look at how long it took for a quarter or half of the population to adopt it.
▶ 1:19:56Can a system that's built on multi-year planning cycles realistically keep pace with that kind of change? No. Okay. So, what do we do about it? I I would want to qualify that. It's not without major adaptation at this point. I think traditional multi-year planning cycles already lag behind the speed of of AI. Uh new models come out every, you know, month now.
▶ 1:20:23Uh so, virtualization, edge computing, and broadband deployment requirements are also rapidly changing. My view is that there are a few changes that could be meaningful. One is to shift from a plan execute model to a plan adapt and then iterate model so that um you can move through uh curriculum development in a much tighter cycle.
▶ 1:20:48Um build workforce pipelines that update continuously um with shortages in telecom broadband and AI uh integrated networks, it means that the system has to expand ready registered apprenticeships, micro-credentials, and ongoing upskilling. And then we have to modernize as Brent has as mentioned the infrastructure planning to account for AI-driven transformation. Okay.
▶ 1:21:11So, I already worried even 12 years ago, back when I worked for a living, um about the government's ability to adapt to market conditions. I thought I was moving pretty quick um and the government couldn't keep up. And now, under AI, we're worried about companies being able to keep up, let alone the government, which has never been known for its rapidity and and its and its skill set. So, so one of the ways that we adapt is by having the workforce to do it, which is what we're talking about. So, Ms.
▶ 1:21:40Morley-Ryan, my question's going to be for you. You know, other countries seem to be aggressively investing in their AI talent pipelines. Um from a global competitiveness standpoint, how how are we doing and and how urgent is workforce modernization for maintaining US It's urgent. It needs to be now.
▶ 1:22:02Um I'll just give a corollary to what we know is going on in the UK, um where they've just set a target of skilling 10 million workers with AI skills by 2020 by 2030, which is a third of their workforce. Um and that includes all of their government employees as We need to have those types of bold goals and collaboration across parties to drive towards something of that
▶ 1:22:24So, let me flip it around on you. What happens if we don't do it? Let's say, "Eh, it'll all be fine." You know, what what do you I actually have to tell people things are fine even when they're not. It's my last name. But But But what happens if we don't take it I am uh if we don't take it seriously, we're going to see what we saw in manufacturing, and I I forget the era I was trying to pull it up. Um where we we had a significant drop-off in the workforce, right?
▶ 1:22:49Where we had um highly skilled manufacturing um workers who could not get jobs. I think it was I'm trying to find the facts, but I think it's 17%. Um AI will have a much bigger impact than 17% of our workforce. So, you're saying our choice is we can either lead or or we can lag. There's not a middle ground. We can either maintain our leadership or we can end up with an industry that gets hollowed out as we saw happen with with so many of them in our past. Absolutely.
▶ 1:23:17Employers will go where the talent is. So, I would say our clients are actively asking us, "Where can I find cybersecurity talent, AI talent, folks that can work with large language models, build those alongside, whether it's manufacturing or other functional functional areas of their business?" Um and they are desperate to build that talent and and retain it. And I would I just simply close by saying this.
▶ 1:23:40We have seen the risks to our economy of of letting our manufacturing sector be hollowed out, being able being reliant on countries that may not like us very much. I would argue that the risk of AI and technology being hollowed out in the United States, that risk is even worse. It's why we need to take it seriously, and I appreciate what all of you are doing to advance that today. Uh Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Thank you. And I'd like to recognize my my friend from Virginia, Ranking Member Ranking Member Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And Mr.
▶ 1:24:10Barton, uh we've heard a lot about um supporting registered apprenticeships. Can you tell me some of the important aspects of that bill that are that we should make sure we don't lose. The National Apprenticeship Act, when it was first passed, was a couple of paragraphs. And and since then, the the registered apprenticeship system has really been overseen through regulation.
▶ 1:24:37The National Apprenticeship Act that this committee and and Congress has considered, I think, meets the moment in the sense that on one hand, it makes clear how Congress's investments in apprenticeship can support the capacity of states to play a leadership role in apprenticeship. It clarifies the linkages between registered apprenticeship, our workforce system, our career tech ed systems, as well as youth apprenticeship models.
▶ 1:25:01The National Apprenticeship Act also, I think, provides critical stability and security that about what an apprenticeship is or how new flexibilities can be pursued by industry sector, but it does not leave that to the whims of any one administration or regulation that can change. It clarifies what the rules of the games are and lets the world innovate within it. The last thing I'll say is it recognizes the roles of intermediaries, um which can be community colleges, industry associations.
▶ 1:25:27They are really critical, just like our joint training partners, to scale the apprenticeship NAA does all. Thank you. And you mentioned uh 29 was too old to start. What are we doing for youth apprenticeships and youth initiatives in the WIOA? Well, as has already been mentioned, the youth apprenticeship readiness grant, so I appreciate uh he was Ranking Member Scott bringing this up. The youth apprenticeship readiness grants that were, I think, a critical down payment on that linkage between helping states build out apprenticeship programs that meet the needs of youth.
▶ 1:25:57But beyond that, I would also call out how a stronger Workforce for America Act increases the use of work-based learning, subsidized employment for youth as part of how we serve young people who are both in and out of school. Both of those things are critical, I think, for how employer-led learning is being embedded it our workforce system. Um, our colleague from Ohio, Ms. Kaptur, has insisted that we include sector
▶ 1:26:23um, training as well as individual job training because of the conversion to electric cars, a lot of the skills don't transfer and we have a whole sector that needs Uh, can you say whether that's important that flexibility is important? It's usually important. WIOA has long recognized the evidence-based sector partnership model in workforce development. It called for more sector partnerships. I think as we took the important step to actually put the money where the mouth is behind that.
▶ 1:26:52The critical industry skills funds that gave flexibility for states to establish those, how to use and increase the governor's reserve to increase sector partnerships is critical. I will just say as an intermediary, employers do not look at their workforce through just a youth lens, just an incumbent worker lens, or how their workforce needs to change. Sector partnerships are as an infrastructure that lets them meet all Uh, now there's some expertise at the Department of Education that you don't have at the Department of Labor.
▶ 1:27:19Uh, what does that make it uh, more appropriate to keep adult education at the Department of Labor? Excuse me, Department of Education. On a personal level, it's always good to have friends who are smarter than you in other things, so we can work on something together. But let me even answer that from the lens of uh, an intermediary out there in the Our employer partners expect folks that come into their workforce development programs to have some basic skills.
▶ 1:27:47It's not about the job training part, it's about often we're called kind of the durable career ready skills. It's what us as an intermediary provides, but also basic literacy and numeracy. That's not something employers want to spend a lot of time investing in when they're investing in employer-led training. So, I think it while it's critically important, the best of adult education and workforce development has always been when they work together. The I-BEST program in Washington state has long been an evidence-based model, but they are different pursuits because the employers who we work with expect that to be delivered.
▶ 1:28:17We need partners out in the ecosystem that know how to do that well. Thank you. Dr. Rawls, I want to thank you for your work in community You've been in other states other than North Carolina and done an excellent community colleges are good at preparing jobs for the future. AI is going to cost people jobs and create some jobs.
▶ 1:28:40are community colleges doing to prepare people for actual jobs so be Well, thank you and thank you for your comments. For community colleges, we're successful in our strategies. We go where the jobs are because as I said before, community colleges are through colleges. Students come through us to get to their destination, ultimately jobs. That's why us being our being nimble is so important. That's why our being employer-led is so important, but also the way we structure programs, I think is very important.
▶ 1:29:08As we look at the AI moment, um it we have seen disruptive technologies in our time. Uh this technology will be more disruptive, positively and negatively. And I think what's important is from a Wake Tech perspective, the way we look at it is this is too important to be treated as just a program or a silo.
▶ 1:29:27It has to be threaded across and we have to make sure we're preparing all of our students across multiple disciplines and that's why we are threading AI literacy into multiple different programs across Wake Tech. Um I think that's the strength of community colleges because we have a breadth of programming that we do across community colleges.
▶ 1:29:47We have strengths in our own areas because we are locally based, but we work across program areas and I think the AI moment in the United States demands threading it throughout multiple workforce and programmatic areas and community colleges I think are uniquely prepared to do that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. I'd would to now recognize my friend from California, Ms. Kelly. Uh thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks for convening this hearing on uh such an incredibly important, challenging topic. Um Ms.
▶ 1:30:16Uh Morley Ryan, I know that kind of the hallmark of what Accenture is doing right now is uh being kind of as as possible in the midst of this rapid transformation and advancement in uh in the capability of AI models that we're seeing. I can't imagine how difficult that task must be since, you know, uh whatever training you may have put in 3 months ago was woefully out of date uh today. Could you just uh tell us a little bit about how you try to do that in a way that's uh you know, helping the workforce adapt?
▶ 1:30:46Absolutely. Thank you for that question. I would say what we're seeing our clients do and what we're partnering with them on that's working the best is actually having their workers be a part of defining future state processes and future state workflows. So, they're along, if you will, for the ride of where where the company is choosing to go.
▶ 1:31:05And so, when they're a part of that process change and they're a part of check, you know, choosing technology that they're going to work with, they're much more bought in and they're able to use that and and we're able to see what I would say double-digit productivity gains, right, for those organizations. Um from a keeping people up-to-date, um I think the again the apprenticeship and work-based learning model is the best model because it's the only way where you're learn, you know, you're in the flow of work learning and as things are changing, you're changing with it.
▶ 1:31:34Um so, those are those are what we see be the best. Um I think the other thing that and I mentioned earlier is that, you know, employers that are providing AI fluency and and digital fluency training for all of their workforce, regardless if if they're, you know, {quote} an IT professional job, um is critical so that people have the same language to talk about where the organization is going.
▶ 1:31:57Um I I would say finally, you know, the other piece is for the folks that are getting those productivity gains, the best folks are moving those people into other roles where they when they get that capacity from that productivity, they're actually moving those people into higher wage roles and allowing what I would say better customer service or you know, allowing those people to think more strategically about other problems in the in the in the organization. That's what I would say, you know, some of our best clients are doing and that what I'm excited about partnering with them on.
▶ 1:32:28Very interesting. What would you say kind of is the broader question for young people today? Many of whom are thinking, okay, what is the future of of this given profession going to look like? What degree does it make sense to pursue? Is there any good advice that we can give them? Yeah, I will share what I tell my children. Three of them are behind me. We did not bring the four-year-old today, but you know, to me what I think is important is to continue to foster you know, the American curiosity and entrepreneurial spirit.
▶ 1:32:56Going after complex and hard problems with grit, right? And excitement versus fear, embracing what I would call like this the uncomfortable part of learning, right? Not knowing which is I think a lot of where we are right now. We don't know and feeling like, okay, what what could we hold on to or what can we embrace from a uncomfortable You know, more empirically if you will and our evidence-based is critical thinking, curiosity, collaboration from a human perspective, critical.
▶ 1:33:25I think the other thing is being really grounded and knowing who you are as a person. What are your values? What do you care about? What are your principles? Because it's not human in the loop when it comes to AI, it's human in the lead, right? We are in charge. We need to remember that as we're developing these technologies and deploying them across the world, right? Human in the lead.
▶ 1:33:45And so to me to to really have people feel empowered around that and for our young people like my children, you know, it's again that's like entrepreneurial spirit, empowerment, ownership, you know, knowing who what your principles are cuz those principles will be embedded in the in the technology that you're building whether you know it or not. Um and so I think those are important things that I think about um when it comes to my own children and when I think about, you know, Accenture's partnerships on youth-based apprenticeships, it's not just about learning how to use, you know, certain technologies.
▶ 1:34:15It's about the mindset that you go into it um when you're learning or how you're partnering or how you're listening to people. Um so that's that's my perspective.
▶ 1:34:24that's really well said. I mean, what you're describing this capacity to uh to adapt uh and to lead and to be anchored in core values, like that that should be what education is about uh you know, all along, but I think it's of really heightened importance in this moment. And so uh you know, on this committee we deal with education and workforce, but uh to the extent we can have conversations about how we can uh make sure those are priorities uh throughout the you know, across the board, I think that uh that'd be a great thing. So thanks for sharing your testimony. I yield back.
▶ 1:34:55Thank you so much. Um now I'd like to move to our closing remarks. I'd like to recognize uh ranking members Ms. Scott for his closing remarks. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank again our witnesses for being with us today. Last Congress, Democrats and Republicans reached an excellent bipartisan, bicameral agreement to strengthen our workforce system to help America's employers and workers.
▶ 1:35:17The agreement entitled the Stronger Workforce for America Act updated WIOA to increase improve the connection between employers and the workforce system and put more Americans on a path to success. Bill has the flexibility to incorporate the challenges of artificial intelligence that we've heard today.
▶ 1:35:39So I urge my colleagues to renew their commitment to the Stronger Workforce for American Act and reject any partisan-fueled endeavor that has no chance of becoming law. We have an opportunity to to deliver on the promise to create opportunity and upward mobility for working families and we should we should deliver on that promise. So, thank you for the opportunity to discuss the future of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back the balance of my time. Thank you.
▶ 1:36:09Um Uh first of all, I want to thank each and every one of you guys. This is a remarkable timing. It's a paradigm shift we needed to get to for a long a long time ago. Um and Mr. Molly Brand, thank you. Uh first of all, bring your kids here. Uh this is how our country would would get back to the promise that we've always had. And I I love not only way you start off talking about the dream, the culture. We have something so unique here, something we take for granted.
▶ 1:36:34The reason why we have the greatest middle class is because we can dream, we can risk, we can get back up and go at it again and then tell our kids how to do the same thing so they stand on our shoulders. And I think that's the greatest promise we have in our with our with our country is what you've just kind of highlighted. We've always believed the next generation stand on our shoulders, be better than we were. And we kind of dropped the ball for a while. I was looking at a study uh the kids born in in 1940s, there was a 90% chance they were going to out-earn their parents by the time they grew up.
▶ 1:37:04Well, 1980 that dropped to 50%. So, we had lost the promise mission and this is how we bring it back, not only with new technology but putting the character we need, putting our principles, our values into that process and knowing that we're really working to make sure our kids are living a better life. Not just that we're making more money, but our kids can actually stand on our shoulders, take our legacy of of our name and and our mission and and be excited about that.
▶ 1:37:29So, I can't say enough about how excited about what what you're you're talking about here. I'll say finally we're getting back to our return on investment. You know, the time we put in, the work, the money, we should be having much bigger dreams when it's all said and done, not less. We should be should more excited about the obstacles we'll be facing. So, AI is a great opportunity. I think more importantly is the way we approach it. Uh we're finally seeing the focus is our kids, not institutions, not processes.
▶ 1:37:59It's how can we make sure the next generation moves on. So, thank you so much for that. I cannot wait to be very a part of the answers we need, solutions we need. Uh can't wait to see down the road what your kids are doing.
▶ 1:38:11It's going to be fun to see that for sure. And uh with that being said, um I'd like to thank our witnesses again for taking the time to testify before the subcommittee today. Without objections, uh there'll be no further business. The subcommittee stands