The National Association of State Chambers and Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute Form Coalition and Support Workforce Development Legislation
In a letter sent to Congress today, the Coalition expresses support for legislation that would modernize America’s workforce development and education system
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 8, 2024) – The National Association of State Chambers (NASC) and Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute® (WPI®) are proud to announce the formation of the Workforce Transformation Coalition. The NASC is the largest nationwide association of state chambers, with a combined membership of over 150,000 businesses, representing the entire Fortune 500, which employ over 50% of the total private sector workforce in America. WPI is the government relations and public policy arm of Littler, the world’s largest labor and employment law practice representing management.
The Workforce Transformation Coalition is focused on elevating workforce development as a national priority by advancing comprehensive federal and state policy and programmatic agendas to strengthen workforce competitiveness and pathways to opportunity.
As part of these efforts, in a letter sent today to the U.S. House of Representatives, the Coalition urged members of congress to vote in favor of H.R. 6655, “A Stronger Workforce for America Act,” expected to be considered on the House floor Tuesday evening. This bipartisan bill would not only reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) but also modernize the nation’s workforce development and education system. The Coalition also urged House members to prioritize and bring to the floor consideration of H.R. 6585, the “Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act,” which would expand federal Pell grant eligibility to include students enrolled in short-term, high-quality education programs.
“NASC and WPI have a shared mission to bring the challenges of the fast-changing workforce into the national conversation, and we are thrilled to be working together on the Workforce Transformation Coalition,” said Scott Waller current chair of NASC’s Policy Center and President & CEO of the Mississippi Economic Council. “We are proud to support this legislation as one of our first actions. These two bills could have an outsized impact on America’s workforce development system, and we urge Congress to swiftly enact these important measures.”
Meeting shifting talent needs and closing a growing skills gap are top concerns for U.S. employers amid ongoing technological change and economic uncertainty. The Workforce Transformation Coalition will work to develop high-impact solutions that address those concerns – and that can be implemented swiftly in post-secondary education and training.
“Employers across the country are looking for solutions to their workforce challenges,” said Michael Lotito, Littler shareholder and co-chair of WPI. “As technological innovation drives significant changes in employers’ talent needs, passing these bills is an important step in addressing our country’s varied and complex workforce challenges and providing education and training to prepare workers with the necessary skills for the future.”
The formation of the Workforce Transformation Coalition follows a 2022 report – Workforce: A Throttle on American Growth – developed by NASC and WPI. The report provided a comprehensive analysis of how employers, state and local governments, chambers of commerce and other stakeholders across the country are working together to address skill mismatches and meet the demands of the labor market.
About NASC
The National Association of State Chambers exists to connect, and leverage state chambers of commerce so they can unite and mobilize the collective impact of employers in the promotion of free enterprise. NASC works to secure America’s future by uniting State Chambers for action on economic competitiveness. For more information, visit www.statechambers.org.
About Littler
With more than 1,800 labor and employment attorneys in offices around the world, Littler provides workplace solutions that are local, everywhere. Our diverse global team and proprietary technology foster a culture that celebrates original thinking, delivering groundbreaking innovation that prepares employers for what’s happening today, and what’s likely to happen tomorrow.
About Littler WPI
WPI advocates for employers on a global scale. Working closely with businesses and trade associations, WPI serves as a strong voice for employers and their workplaces to navigate real-time changes in employment and labor law, while influencing the legislation of tomorrow. By harnessing Littler’s global depth of knowledge and expansive resources for tracking emerging issues that affect the workplace, WPI brings employers’ interests to the forefront of today’s rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.
Workforce: A Throttle on American Growth
The National Association of State Chambers (NASC) is pleased to present a first ever, comprehensive, 50-state study on workforce engagement by our members and some of the best practices that have emerged. NASC’s Chamber members represent over 100,000 job creators who employ 50 percent of the total private sector workforce in the United States. NASC has an overall mission to connect, and leverage state chambers of commerce so they can unite and mobilize the collective impact of employers in the promotion of free enterprise. The ability of the free enterprise system to function is being rocked to its core with the need for workforce solutions.
Site Selection magazine recently stated: “COVID-19 changed our world in countless ways, but one of the biggest was its impact on the war for talent. If the global pandemic taught us anything, it was that worker shortages are the new norm and that new rules for talent attraction are being written daily.”* Our members and their employers are on the front line of talent acquisition, and they are asking for assistance navigating this “new norm”. Our goal with this study was to provide our members, all employers, and elected officials with the ideas and tools they need to navigate our current worker shortages and skill mismatches, both in the short term and the long term.
We thank Ted Abernathy, Greg Payne and the outstanding team at Economic Leadership for compiling and presenting this study. Our work here would not have been possible without the support and underwriting from Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute and their Emma Coalition, which is the first and only employer-focused, non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to preparing American businesses and government for TIDE (technology induced displacement of employment).
Read our joint press release with Littler WPI
Littler's Workplace Policy Institute® (WPI™) partners with the employer community to engage in legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts on issues that impact the workplace. They provide clients with unique insights into local, state and federal labor policy and legal developments and work to affect workplace policies throughout the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. Harnessing deep experience, expansive resources and focused dedication, the WPI team ensures that policymakers in Washington DC and around the country hear the voice of employers.
The research and analysis for the study was conducted by Ted Abernathy, Managing Partner of Economic Leadership LLC; and supported by the Emma Coalition, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization founded by Littler WPI in 2018 to address the technology-induced displacement of employment (TIDE™) through education, training and engagement with policymakers. Lotito serves as president of the coalition and has devoted significant attention to efforts to prepare American business and the American workforce for the future of work.
*Site Selection magazine, The Top 10 Workforce Issues of 2022
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