BPC Governors' Council Welcomes New Innovative Veterans Talent Tool

Council called for similar programs earlier this year to better target limited investments

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Sep 18, 2014, 05:18 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The members of the Bipartisan Policy Center's (BPC) Governors' Council - Jim Douglas of Vermont, Brad Henry of Oklahoma, Linda Lingle of Hawaii, Sonny Perdue of Georgia and Ted Strickland of Ohio - applaud the creation of Veterans Talent: An Open Data Collaboration. This new tool illustrates the power of mapping an individual's abilities to skills needed in available jobs, speeding a veteran's return to civilian employment and potentially building a smarter workforce system for the country.

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Earlier this year, BPC's Governors' Council released a report recommending that federal occupational databases be improved and more industry-derived data be gathered so that workforce training programs can better target their investments and ensure individuals can access training for actual jobs in the workplace. Too often we are graduating students and training workers for jobs that do not exist while industries have open positions but cannot find workers with the necessary skills. The council commends the Dave Duffel Family Foundation, LinkedIn, Monster, Payscale, Glassdoor and Georgetown University for creating a program for our veterans that could prove to be a model for the rest of the workforce.

A significant part of the solution to the skills gap is the collection of better data. Record numbers of students are returning home to live with their parents after graduating from college because their education did not prepare them with the skills needed in today's workforce. Private entities like LinkedIn and Monster.com now house some of the best data available about where jobs are located and what skills are needed to get those jobs. Combining that information with our job training programs and our schools will better prepare workers for the modern job market.

About the Bipartisan Policy Center
Founded in 2007 by former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and George Mitchell, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) is a non-profit organization that drives principled solutions through rigorous analysis, reasoned negotiation and respectful dialogue. With projects in multiple issue areas, BPC combines politically balanced policymaking with strong, proactive advocacy and outreach. For more information, please visit www.bipartisanpolicy.org.

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SOURCE Bipartisan Policy Center