State of the Union

Highlights from last night's State of the Union address and the President's "An America Built To Last" plan:


*Reform job training and Unemployment Insurance to help put more Americans back to work:
The President believes we need to reform outdated and inefficient unemployment insurance and job training systems and restore the basic bargain that if you are willing to do the work, you deserve the chance to gain the skills you need to find a job or land a better one. The President called on Congress to move forward on reforms to the Unemployment Insurance program by requiring workers to undergo eligibility assessments in order to receive emergency federal benefits, while at the same time offering new tools to help workers find new jobs. He also proposed streamlining training and employment services for dislocated workers so that those workers are able to access a single program, visit a single location, and go to a single website to find the help they need about job services and training opportunities in their communities.

*Forge new partnerships between community colleges and businesses to train and place 2 million skilled workers: Many industries have difficulty filling jobs requiring specific technical skills, even with many Americans still looking for work. In coming years, America will need to fill millions of mid- and high-level skilled positions in industries from healthcare to advanced manufacturing, clean energy to information technology. The President proposed a new initiative to train and place two million Americans in good jobs through partnerships between businesses and community colleges that give workers the skills employers explicitly need. To address future workforce needs, the President will support partnerships between high schools and industry to create more career academies, which combine instruction in academic subjects and industry skills.

The work plan also includes initiatives toward hiring unemployed Veterans, continued work for Equal Pay, strengthening the manufacturing sector, and multiple tax reform proposals.