Statement by IUPAT General President Kenneth Rigmaiden on the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

HANOVER, Md., May 22, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A strong workforce development system is a critical tool for the construction industry as we slowly pull ourselves out from the economic depression we have endured over the past six years. A robust and well-functioning workforce investment and training system is an important component to spark economic recovery and innovation in our field.  This bipartisan agreement will help the construction industry provide the training necessary to create career pathways and fill the real employment needs of our contractors and end users.

I congratulate Chairman Harkin, Congresswoman Foxx, Senator Alexander, Congressman Miller, Senator Isakson, Congressman Kline, and Congressman Hinojosa for their perseverance and commitment to reauthorizing and reinvigorating the workforce training system. This agreement is a true testimony to what can be accomplished when a dedicated group of thoughtful lawmakers and their staff come together in a bipartisan manner to address a critical need.

As the labor co-chair of the Department of Labor's Advisory Council on Apprenticeship, and co-chair of the IUPAT Finishing Trades Institute, I believe that the bipartisan Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act will serve to increase apprenticeship and other high quality training programs that are directly tied with the industry and labor market needs.

I urge the House and Senate to quickly send The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to the President's desk to be signed into law.

Learn more about the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades by following @GoIUPAT, www.IUPAT.org, Facebook.com/GoIUPAT.

SOURCE International Union of Painters and Allied Trades