Chairman Hinojosa, Ranking Member Guthrie, and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for inviting the National Governors Association to testify today.
My name is Sandi Vito and I am honored to be here on behalf of the nation’s governors to discuss governor-led innovations. I also serve as the Secretary of the Department of Labor and Industry for Governor Rendell in Pennsylvania. Governor Rendell is the chair of the National Governors Association.
Governors Focus on Transforming the Workforce System and Upskilling Workers
This past weekend, the nation’s governors convened in Washington, DC for their winter meeting and met with President Obama and Cabinet members to discuss the state economic crisis and implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Governors also met in the NGA Education, Early Childhood, and Workforce Committee to discuss transforming the workforce system and up skilling American workers. During the Committee’s deliberations, the governors also approved a new workforce policy titled “Governors’ Principles to Ensure Workforce Excellence”.
The new policy supports governor-led workforce innovations, and establishes the nation’s governors’ key priorities for a world-class workforce. It also makes recommendations to Congress and the Administration for long needed transformations to the workforce system. Before I discuss the governors’ new policy recommendations for the workforce system, let me first set the stage with the current economic forces and highlight several successful governor-led innovations. Read more…
