Yesterday, the Committee on Education and Workforce advanced H.R. 8210, the Stronger Workforce for America Act of 2026. This legislation makes needed improvements to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)—focused on improving outcomes for workers, strengthening our economy, and ensuring accountability for taxpayer dollars.
Included in H.R. 8210 are provisions from Congressman Allen's Startup Act and Validate Prior Learning to Accelerate Employment Act that reduce barriers to employment, expand opportunity, and better align our workforce system with how people actually learn and work.
Prior to the full committee advancing the Stronger Workforce for America Act, Congressman Allen delivered the following remarks, as prepared for delivery, in support of the bill:
"A Stronger Workforce for America Act of 2026 seeks to strengthen and increase connections to work for our nation’s most vulnerable, and I’m proud that provisions from my bill, the Validate Prior Learning to Accelerate Employment Act, are included in this package, as well as language around entrepreneurial skills development.
"My bills are built on simple but important beliefs: that learning doesn’t only happen in the classroom, and our workforce system should recognize the full range of skills individuals already have.
"Too often, qualified workers are overlooked because they lack a formal degree, even when they have years of relevant experience from work, military service, or other training. These provisions help fix that by improving how the workforce system identifies and validates prior learning and existing skills.
"They strengthen collaboration between workforce boards, employers, and education providers to ensure assessments reflect the skills that are in demand in today’s economy. The bill also integrates these assessments into local workforce services so job seekers can receive credit or credentials for the skills they already possess.
"This allows workers to move more quickly into employment or advance in their careers without having to start from scratch. At the same time, it supports employers by making it easier to identify qualified candidates and move toward skills-based hiring rather than relying solely on degree requirements.
"These reforms help reduce barriers to employment, expand opportunity, and better align our workforce system with how people actually learn and work. I’m happy to see my bill language reflected in this reauthorization effort, and I urge my colleagues to support it. I yield back."
