The House Committee on Ways and Means on Monday voted in favor of State Rep. Todd Huston’s (R-Fishers) proposal that would reorganize Indiana’s workforce programs and funding.
Huston
According to Huston, Indiana’s workforce development system spends roughly $1 billion per year through nine state agencies across 30 different programs. House Bill 1002 would restructure the state’s workforce programs and funding using return-on-investment metrics to evaluate areas in need of improvement. The bill also calls for consolidation of overlapping efforts into programs that are both accessible to workers and aligned with employer needs.
“Indiana’s unemployment rate remains low. However, we still have jobs continuing to go unfilled because our workforce does not have the necessary skills,” Huston said. “This bill would help not only get Hoosiers the training needed to fill these positions, but also make our state more appealing to employers across the country and overseas looking to expand.”
The proposal would create the Next Level Workforce Training and Development Fund to ensure there is a dedicated source of money every year invested into programs. The bill also proposes the Indiana Department of Workforce Development establish two employees at each WorkOne center, which connects Hoosier employers and jobseekers with state resources, to inform local school officials and students on available grants and programs.
The proposal can now be considered by the full House. For more information, visit iga.in.gov.
State Rep. Todd Huston (R-Fishers) represents House District 37, which includes portions of Hamilton County.