Senator Hassan Announces She is Cosponsoring Two Bipartisan Bills to Help Build a Stronger Workforce and Expand Economic Opportunity for Granite Staters
Senator Hassan Announces She is Cosponsoring Two Bipartisan Bills to Help Build a Stronger Workforce and Expand Economic Opportunity for Granite Staters
The JOBS Act and LEAP Act Increase Access to Job Training and Encourage Apprenticeship Opportunities
WASHINGTON - Today, Senator Maggie Hassan announced that she is cosponsoring two bipartisan bills to help develop a stronger workforce and expand economic opportunity for Granite Staters. The Jumpstart Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act and the Leveraging and Energizing America's Apprenticeship Programs (LEAP) Act would increase access to job training programs and encourage both employers and employees to take advantage of apprenticeship opportunities.
"I am proud to cosponsor these bipartisan bills to help expand economic opportunity for Granite Staters while building the highly skilled workforce our innovative businesses need to grow and thrive," Senator Hassan said. "By expanding Pell Grant eligibility to cover more job training programs, and by providing tax incentives for employers to hire apprentices, these two bills are common-sense measures to help lay the foundation for a new generation of economic growth. I will continue working across the aisle to push these bills forward and to keep our economy moving in the right direction."
The JOBS Act is a bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Rob Portman (R-OH) to help close the skills gap by expanding Pell Grant eligibility to cover high-quality and rigorous short-term job training programs to help American workers develop the skills and innovative thinking needed for good jobs of the 21st century economy. Currently, Pell Grants only apply toward job training programs that are more than 600 hours, or at least 15 weeks in length, despite many job training programs being shorter term. The JOBS Act is endorsed by the Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE), the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Jobs For the Future, the National Skills Coalition (NSC), Advance CTE and Shipbuilders Council of America.
The bipartisan LEAP Act was introduced by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tim Scott (R-SC) to encourage apprenticeship opportunities for both employers and employees. The LEAP Act helps provide innovative businesses with the workers they need to grow and thrive by providing a federal tax credit to employers for hiring new apprentices that are registered with the U.S. Department of Labor or a state apprenticeship agency. Expanding apprenticeship opportunities will provide more Granite Staters and Americans with economic opportunity while building a stronger, more skilled workforce. The LEAP Act has received support from national think tanks, nonprofit organizations, colleges and universities, vocational schools, and trade unions.
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