Same Old Song

Despite mounting concerns regarding mismatches between the skills demanded by local employers and those possessed by the incumbent workforce, the federal government continues to disinvest  in initiatives that help improve the competitiveness of workers and firms.

The Bush Administration's most recent budget request proposes significant reductions to key education and training programs. Under this proposal, funding for a variety of workforce services would be reduced and then consolidated into a block grant. Such a measure, for instance, would reduce North Carolina's annual Workforce Investment Act funding — funding that helps train adults, dislocated workers and youth — by $9.3 million and lead 3,720 Tar Heels to lose access to training.

Sadly, this is consistent with a decades-long reduction in funding for workforce services. Unless such trends are reversed, both the state and nation will lack the ability to remain competitive in a changing global economy.