To authorize workforce development innovation grants for the implementation, expansion, and evaluation of evidence-based workforce programs, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · December 5, 2024
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
The Better Jobs through Evidence and Innovation Act establishes a new grant program to fund workforce development projects that test and expand innovative job training and employment services. The bill authorizes the Department of Labor to award competitive grants to eligible organizations—including state and local workforce boards, colleges, nonprofits, and tribal organizations—to develop, test, and expand employment programs that demonstrate positive results for job seekers and workers. Grants are structured in three tiers based on the strength of research evidence: early-phase grants for new or emerging programs, mid-phase grants for programs with moderate evidence of success, and expansion grants for programs with strong research backing that are ready to scale to multiple locations. The legislation requires that funded programs be rigorously evaluated through independent research to measure their impact on employment outcomes, earnings, and cost-effectiveness, with special attention to underserved populations including rural communities. The bill modifies the existing Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and allows the Secretary of Labor to use a portion of existing workforce funding to support this innovation initiative, though it does not specify new appropriations amounts or timelines.
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