Amata Radewagen

12/15/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/15/2023 16:07

Amata Welcomes Progress for Key Wagner-Peyser Program Grant for American Samoa and CNMI

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata is welcoming an important legislative step forward for a Wagner-Peyser job training program that, upon final passage, would finally include American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands, a priority that she has worked for alongside Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan of CNMI.
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Congresswoman Amata and Congressman Sablan earlier this year presiding over a hearing

"Currently, our two territories are the only jurisdictions not included in this helpful job training program, and fundamental fairness and equity dictated that we be brought into this program consistent with all the other territories," Congresswoman Amata said. "I want to especially thank my friend Congressman Sablan, a senior member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, and Ranking Member Bobby Scott, for their hard work to help American Samoa and CNMI students and workers who will benefit from these new additional workforce development funds. I look forward to full House consideration and support of our provision early next year, and I appreciate the Committee's work in passing this positive change that rightfully includes our people for equal treatment in this program."

Congressman Sablan said, "First, I want to thank Chairwoman Foxx and Ranking Member Scott for including my bill, the Employment Services and Jobs Parity Act, in H.R. 6655. It has been a longstanding priority of mine, along with Congresswoman Radewagen, to include the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa under the Wagner-Peyser Act. We are the only two remaining U.S. jurisdictions ineligible to participate in the critical programs under Wagner-Peyser."

As part of A Stronger Workforce for America Act, H.R. 6655, sponsored by Chairwoman Foxx, which was passed by the Committee with a bipartisan vote of 44-1, the Marianas and American Samoa would be added to the definition of "state" in this act and begin receiving the grant as the overall funding for the program increases above the Fiscal Year 24 level. This agreement protects existing grantees from losing funding as a result of the inclusion of the Marianas and American Samoa. Once the change is made, the Marianas and American Samoa would continue to receive the grant no matter whether overall funding for the program goes up or down. Funding has been increasing since 2017.

That broader bill now includes the content of the Employment Services and Jobs Parity Act, H.R. 3193, led by Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan of CNMI with original cosponsor Congresswoman Aumua Amata Radewagen of American Samoa. Wagner-Peyser grant funds help match job seekers to training, and match employers to employees who have the training, experience and skills they need.

The grant amount takes into account population differences with Guam, which already received this grant, and at current funding levels the grant would be about $150,000 annually each for the Marianas and American Samoa.

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