This bill amends parts of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). It adds entrepreneurs and "entrepreneurial skills development and microenterprise services" to items that state workforce development boards consider. It adds providers of entrepreneurial skills development programs to the list of eligible training providers.
The bill changes required local workforce activities to include: providing information on entrepreneurship, referring people to microenterprise services, including entrepreneurship resources in job listings and labor market information, and noting entrepreneurial opportunities in workplace-related services.
The bill directs the Secretary to run a three-year, multistate study by grant or contract. The study must review many topics, including: successful practices for building entrepreneurial skills; mentoring practices; provider qualifications; employer engagement strategies; program outcomes linked to entrepreneurial success; how programs measure participant progress; whether programs lead to industry-recognized credentials; economic impacts on states and local communities; effects on business creation and jobs; how programs assess participant readiness; and average earnings of program completers three years after completion. The study must also include recommendations for states and local communities. The bill also adds individuals pursuing entrepreneurship to certain service population lists and expands the kinds of demonstration projects that may be funded to include promoting self-employment and entrepreneurship.
The bill was introduced in the House by Representatives Rick Allen, Mark DeSaulnier, and Ami Bera and is referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
The bill requires a three-year multistate study to be done by grant or contract. The bill text provided does not include any specific dollar amounts or funding levels. No publicly available information on total costs or appropriations is included in the bill text provided.
The bill’s stated purpose is to add entrepreneurship-related services to WIOA program activities and to authorize a study of entrepreneurial skills programs to identify practices, outcomes, and recommendations.
No publicly available information.