These guys: http://www.nlc.org/media-center/news-search/why-is-the-skills-act-bad-public-policy think it's a raw deal. > From: Noelle <http://dummy.us.eu.org/noelleg> > Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2014 06:50:54 -0700 (PDT) > > > Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2014 12:44:02 -0500 > > From: "Speaker Alert" <http://www.ussoh.service.govdelivery.com/~SpeakerAlert> > > > > *The Right Skills for the Right Jobs* April 16, 2014 | Permalink [ > > speaker.house.gov/video/right-skills-right-jobs ] > > Speaker Boehner is out with *a new video [ > > http://youtu.be/GYdloPujq7w?Source=GovD > > ]* today as a prebuttal to President Obamaâ??s job training speech in > > Western Pennsylvania.  Take a look: > > > > [ http://youtu.be/GYdloPujq7w?Source=GovD ] > > > > Hereâ??s the deal: today in our country, there are more than four million > > job opportunities that are unfilled. A â??skills gapâ?? is preventing our > > workers from getting the skills they need for the 21st century jobs they > > want.  _America isnâ??t working when our job training system hasnâ??t been > > updated since before the dot com bubble burst._ > > > > Thatâ??s why, as part of Republicansâ?? long-term jobs plan [ > > http://gop.gov/jobs?Source=GovD > > ], weâ??ve passed the "SKILLS Act", authored by *Rep. Virginia Foxx* ( > > R-NC), to help expand opportunity for Americaâ??s workers. > > > > As the video explains* in less than 70 seconds [ > > http://youtu.be/GYdloPujq7w?Source=GovD > > ]*, the bill would: > > > > * Eliminate arbitrary roadblocks that prevent workers from learning vital > > skills that are needed in todayâ??s workforce. > > > > * Empower employers to have more of a say locally so their job training > > needs are met. > > > > * Give taxpayers bang for their buck, replacing a maze of outdated > > programs with one modern, accountable entity that will prove more > > effective in meeting the needs of todayâ??s workers. Less is more. > > > > The "SKILLS Act" was written, in part, based on the recommendations of a > > 2011 GAO study [ http://www.gao.gov/assets/320/314551.pdf?Source=GovD ] > > that reviewed all of our job training programs and identified dozens of > > duplicative ones. If this sounds familiar, the Vice President was tasked > > to lead just such a review, even though the GAO has already taken care of > > it. > > > > *So weâ??ve done the homework, passed the bill, and all we need now is for > > the president to help us get the "SKILLS Act" to his desk.*  > > > > Still, this doesnâ??t make his trip to Western PA completely unnecessary â?? > > it is, after all, the 50th anniversary of Wawa.  > > > > Enjoy the video [ http://youtu.be/GYdloPujq7w?Source=GovD ], and to learn > > more, just go to *speaker.gov/jobs [ http://speaker.gov/jobs?Source=GovD ].Â