JOB TRAINING

WHEREAS, plant closings, layoffs, worker dislocations, and shifting plant requirements vastly increase the need for an effective national job training effort to supplement job creation programs; and

WHEREAS, national employment and training policy must fully address the retraining and relocation needs of displaced and disadvantaged workers; and

WHEREAS, in order to help older workers who face discrimination in obtaining training for new jobs the Age Discrimination Act must be effectively enforced; and

WHEREAS, the recently enacted Job Training Partnership Act, now the vehicle for this nation's meager training efforts, calls for cooperation among labor, employers and government at the federal, state and local levels in planning and operation of training programs; and

WHEREAS, the AFT rejects administration proposals to raid depleted unemployment insurance funds for money to provide education or training vouchers for jobless workers:

RESOLVED, that the Congress should clearly establish the right of all persons drawing unemployment insurance benefits to enroll in approved education and training courses without any loss of benefits; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT calls for effective labor and education participation in JTPA programs with full labor representation on local industry councils and state job training coordinating councils, and that all locals be urged to participate in planning and operating JTPA programs to insure that federal training funds will help unemployed workers acquire useful skills and obtain decent jobs.