Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, introduced the Generation Now Workforce Representation Act of 2024 (GeNWRA), a transformative bill aimed at improving youth representation on state workforce development boards. This legislation amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to give young people a voice in shaping career development initiatives across the nation.
WIOA, our nation’s primary workforce development law, supports key initiatives like JobCorps, YouthBuild, Reentry Employment Opportunities and the Indian & Native American Program, which offer crucial career and training services to millions of job seekers. The WIOA Youth program is central to these efforts by providing “opportunity youth” (ages 16-24) who are not in school or employed, with the educational and career resources they need to achieve positive life outcomes. State and local Workforce Development Boards (WDB) oversee these programs, working with businesses and community leaders to make sure training aligns with market needs and supports economic growth in their communities.
Despite their key role in shaping workforce policy, WDBs mostly reflect business interests, with limited worker representation. For instance, unions and labor representatives make up only 20% of State WDBs, while youth workers have no representation at all. Restructuring WDBs to include more workers, especially young workers who experience more complexities within the workforce, is necessary to create more effective workforce development policies.
“As we face a rapidly evolving job market that strains young working Americans, it is crucial that we allow those most affected to have their ideas considered and voices heard,” said Senator Butler. “The Generation Now Workforce Representation Act of 2024 is an important step toward making sure young people have a seat at the table.”
“Young people are the future of our workforce and deserve a seat at the table when it comes to shaping the policies that impact their lives,” said Senator Kaine. “With their help, we can all work together to ensure everyone has access to job training programs and get the resources they need to find good-paying jobs.”
GeNWRA would amend WIOA to give young people a role in shaping national workforce policies by:
- Mandating that each State workforce development board include at least one opportunity youth representative—young individuals aged 16-24 who are not in school or employed;
- Requiring State workforce development boards to include representation from youth-serving nonprofit organizations;
- Establishing youth workforce committees within each State board to provide ongoing recommendations on youth-focused workforce investment activities.
GeNWRA is endorsed by Young Invincibles, National Skills Coalition, Jobs for the Future, National Youth Employment Coalition, Opportunity Youth Network/Forum for Youth Investment, New Ways to Work, the National Collaborative for Transformative Youth Policy, Center for Law and Social Policy, the California Opportunity Youth Network, Chrysalis, California AfterSchool Network, San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp, Social Advocates for Youth San Diego, New America, and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.
“Youth voices are critical, now more than ever, to the development and future of our workforce. Young Invincibles is honored to have worked with Senator Butler and Senator Kaine to make this legislation a reality,” said Alex Lundrigan, Federal Workforce and Finance Policy Coordinator at Young Invincibles. “The Generation Now Workforce Representation Act is a necessary first step to amplifying the voices of those who directly benefit from Workforce Opportunity and Innovation Act (WIOA) programs. As we continue focusing on expanding career opportunities and pathways for young adults, it is vital that the voices of young workers lead the change.”
“Young people must be partners in developing and improving the systems that serve them. The Generation Now Workforce Representation Act does just that by ensuring that Opportunity Youth and organizations that serve them are represented on state workforce boards, which shape and guide workforce activities within the state,” said Dr. Mary Ann Haley, Executive Director, The National Youth Employment Coalition. “The National Youth Employment Coalition thanks Senator Butler for her leadership in elevating youth voice and is proud to endorse The Generation Now Workforce Representation Act.”
“The Generation Now Workforce Representation Act of 2024 improves workforce system planning and accountability by ensuring that Opportunity Youth and the organizations serving them are embedded into the structure of workforce boards around the country,” said Sean Hughes, Policy Director, California Opportunity Youth Network. “The California Opportunity Youth Network (COYN) fully supports this effort to elevate youth voice and facilitate stronger inclusion of youth perspectives in workforce board operations, and believes it will bring about improved outcomes for Opportunity Youth throughout the country.”
“Chrysalis provides employment services to individuals experiencing homelessness and those impacted by the criminal justice system in Southern California. Our young clients often face multiple barriers to entering the workforce,” said Michael Graff-Weisner, Vice President of Strategy and External Relations at Chrysalis. “Representation matters in the processes we create to address these barriers. This act would help ensure that the voices of young job seekers are heard, which will make our workforce development programs more effective and impactful.”
Senator Butler has pursued several initiatives to reform workforce development policy, including:
- Co-leading the Opening Doors for Youth Act—alongside Senator Kaine—which helps at-risk youth find summer or year-round jobs that can set them up for future career success.
- Cosponsoring the Youth Workforce Readiness Act, which aims to foster partnerships between afterschool programs and businesses, helping young people explore career paths and secure jobs.
- Submitting a public comment letter to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee regarding their draft reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Her comments emphasized the need to preserve substantial youth funding, enhance youth and worker representation on Workforce Development Boards, and incorporate diverse perspectives from community organizations and youth experiencing homelessness to create a more inclusive and effective workforce system.
The full bill text can be found HERE.
The one-pager of the bill can be found HERE.
The public comment letter can be found HERE.
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