Via the National ASTD Pubic Policy Council, we are alerted to a short summary and analysis provided by the National Skills Coalition of the training implications of President's Obama "American Jobs Act" proposal that he outined in a nationally-televised speech earlier this month.  You can read the one-page report, which lists three training-related proposals, at the link.

Of particular interest, perhaps, to our Chapter is the proposal to fund innovative work-based strategies to help people acquire credentials and skills that will enable them to find work. The Chapter has the opportunity to play a constructive role in working with other community groups to use the power of training to get our economy moving again.

An example of such a program is the Georgia Works program, which Obama mentioned in his speech.  According to the Associated Press,


"Under Georgia Works, people who register with the state for unemployment benefits can volunteer to receive up 24 hours of on-the-job training for up to eight weeks. They also receive a weekly stipend to cover costs such as child care or transportation."

The program has received both praise and skeptical scrutiny. According to the Georgia Department of Labor, 10,589 people have participated over the past seven years, of whom 6,105 completed training and 3,363 were hired either during or at the end of their training.

Critics have called the program a cynical effort to exploit the unemployed.

If you want to get involved in using your professional abilities to make a better world, contact me at governmentaffairs@astdps.org.