“To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to provide for the establishment of talent marketplaces.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) by (1) adding definitions to WIOA §3 for "talent marketplace" (i.e., public/private platforms matching individuals with jobs and training using user data, learning records, credential registries, and skills profiles), "credential registry," "learning and employment record," "skills profile generator," and "standardized terminology"; and (2) establishing in WIOA §169(d) a grant program under which the Secretary of Labor must use not less than 5% and not more than 10% of funds available under WIOA §132(a)(2)(A) (i.e., state youth program allotments) per program year—plus any authorized funds under §169—to award grants to eligible entities (e.g., state agencies or consortia) for developing workforce longitudinal data systems, talent marketplaces, and related resources to improve program quality, evidence-based decisions, performance reporting under WIOA §116, user privacy, and labor market transparency. Grant applications must describe proposed activities, outcomes, performance support, data security (including state/federal privacy compliance), sustainability plans, and interoperability via open standards. The Secretary must prioritize applicants that are state agencies without prior such grants demonstrating data infrastructure needs (including talent marketplaces) or consortia of such agencies. (As background, WIOA authorizes federal funding for state workforce programs serving jobseekers, workers, and employers through training, employment services, and performance accountability.)