U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff announced Thursday he introduced a bill aiming to bolster workforce training programs for emerging industries, including several fast-growing sectors in Georgia.
Called the Skilled Workforce Act, the Democratic senator’s legislation seeks to establish a federal tax credit program to incentivize corporate investment in education programs. The program would provide a 30% tax credit to qualified investments that install new training equipment, software and other resources at technical colleges, community colleges and high schools.
Ossoff touted the bill’s benefits at a news conference at the Clayton County Chamber of Commerce south of Atlanta, alongside area business stakeholders and technical college leaders. He said better training resources are needed to prepare young workers for the jobs of tomorrow, ranging from advanced manufacturing and construction to electric vehicles and renewable energy.
“We want to empower our technical colleges with the equipment and the systems to make sure that folks who get these certifications and these technical degrees are trained on the very latest systems so they can enter the workforce prepared for jobs that are in demand,” he said Thursday morning at a news conference.
The bill does not have a co-sponsor, but Ossoff said he expects to be able to build bipartisan support.
“There is growing interest on both sides of the aisle in supporting skills training, vocational training and technical education,” he said. “There’s a broad recognition across the country that we need to expand job training opportunities.”
Investing in technical colleges and workforce training programs has become a consistent talking point for Georgia’s leaders across both parties, especially as the Peach State attracts EV factories, battery plants and data centers. Georgia is also a national leader in the aerospace and logistics sectors, spurred in part by the world’s busiest airport.
Caroline Angelo, executive vice president for academic and student affairs at Atlanta Technical College, said workforce innovation centers have proven successful, especially when supported by industry stakeholders.
“This model works, but to scale it (and) to meet the growing demands for skilled labor, we need support,” she said at the news conference.
Timothy Wang, president and CEO of Delta Air Lines subsidiary Endeavor Air, said companies are struggling to find the trained workers they need. Unemployment in Georgia has been at near-record lows in recent years, and the state has 74 available workers for every 100 open jobs, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
“This is a win-win,” said Wang, who is also the Clayton chamber’s chair. “Students get the skills they need for good-paying jobs, and businesses get the talent they need to succeed.”
If adopted, the bill would direct the secretary of the Treasury and the secretary of commerce to establish the tax credit program within 180 days. Qualifying sectors highlighted in the legislation include semiconductor production, advanced manufacturing, construction, transportation, aviation and advanced energy, such as hydrogen, nuclear and solar.
The total amount of credits that can be allocated through this program would be capped at $500 million.
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