WASHINGTON, D.C. –During tonight’s State of the Union address, President Obama outlined his “America’s College Promise” which would provide two years of community college free for qualifying students and align community college curriculum with employer needs. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), whose initiative to match worker training with the needs of regional, high-growth industries became law last year, applauded the President’s announcement.
“Community colleges are the building blocks to the middle class – providing hope and creating economic opportunity for Ohioans,” Brown said. “Whether it’s a foundation toward completing a bachelor’s degree or job training to enter the workforce, community colleges help make people’s dreams a reality. But student loan debt can create an unnecessary burden that follows people for years. This proposal would help ensure that a college degree is more affordable and provide workers with the skills to succeed in high-demand, good-paying jobs.”
Brown is working to help ensure that all Ohioans are prepared to enter the workforce. In July 2014, President Obama signed into law the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), legislation that contains provisions modeled after Brown’s SECTORS Act that would help dislocated workers train for high-tech jobs in their region. The SECTORS Act would promote and require sector-based partnerships to ensure that workforce training programs are developed with industry input and tailored to meet companies’ workforce needs.
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