Las Vegas, Nev. – As part of her Innovation State Initiative, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today introduced a bill to create a public-private partnership that would help job seekers in Nevada and across the country find critical information about employment opportunities. The Workforce Promotion to Access Training to Help Workers, Adults, and Youth Succeed (PATHWAYS) Act would establish a consortium of businesses, labor leaders, and education groups to highlight emerging industries, provide awards and recognition to programs and employers offering successful training, and coordinate opportunities for women, minorities, veterans, seniors, and other diverse candidates within job markets. The consortium will also be responsible for communicating this information to the public with easy-to-understand guides and marketing materials tailored to regions, states, and localities.
“Workers in Nevada and across the country have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and they need every support we can give them. I’m proud to introduce this legislation, based on good ideas we’ve implemented in Nevada, to help job seekers figure out more about how to find jobs in in-demand industries like health care, transportation, technology, and other fields. I’ll keep working in the Senate to ensure that as we get the pandemic under control, we lay the groundwork for a vibrant recovery for everyone.”
BACKGROUND:
Building on initiatives in Nevada such as the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance’s “Workforce Blueprint” and the New Nevada Jobs effort, the Workforce PATHWAYS Act would create a “Corporation for Career Pathways.” This national nonprofit would provide workforce support both nationally and regionally by establishing a public-private partnership at which various experts process U.S. and state labor market data, learn and develop additional pathways toward the current and future high-demand jobs, and explain them to Americans through a comprehensive and effective marketing campaign. The nonprofit would be:
- Operated by a national board, selected by the Administration’s Cabinet, and supported by staff, for their expertise in all areas of the American labor market and training infrastructure;
- Structured to establish goals, outline its operations, and measure its success annually;
- Intent on providing a clear, comprehensive, and understandable roadmap of current and future job markets at the national, state, and local level;
- Funded through the authorization of $25 million annually, with equal matching funds from the non-federal public and private sectors.
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