CWA Legislative Platform 2023-2024

VISION – A prosperous California where thriving industries are sustained by a highly-skilled, diverse, and innovative workforce.

MISSION – Enhance and inspire California’s local workforce development boards and their partners through strategic advocacy, partnership convening, and capacity building.

CWA’s legislative platform shall serve as a basis by which CWA and the Legislative Committee takes positions on policy. CWA staff and the Legislative committee have the authority to take positions/action on legislation that falls within the following guidelines. CWA’s Legislative platform will seek to support regionalism, the Innovation Economy, and using technology to enhance service delivery. Approval to take a position shall be granted if the majority of local boards responding to a request for input are in favor of the position.

General Policy Guidelines

• Workforce Development – CWA supports policies that support the needs of businesses, job seekers and youth.
• Equity – CWA supports equity, diversity, and inclusion of vulnerable populations through sector partnerships and strategies that will build equitable and economic pathways into high wage and quality jobs.
• WIOA – CWA supports the reauthorization of WIOA with expansion in funding and services to assist individuals with unique and complex employment barriers and infrastructure costs.
• Youth Apprenticeship – CWA supports the development and expansion of Youth Apprenticeship (in-school and out-of-school). Youth apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs reduce employment barriers for opportunity youth by expanding work-based training that can result in pathways to careers with solid incomes without incurring significant educational debt.
• Federal Funding – CWA believes in strengthening partnerships between businesses, labor, and government to support federal funding for workforce training dollars connected to investments such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and CHIPS and Science ACT.
• HHTC – CWA supports the encouragement of hiring homeless individuals served to create pathways for employment while financially benefiting small and medium businesses.
• Business – CWA supports policies that promote economic growth for businesses and investments to develop a qualified, skilled workforce.
• Investments – CWA supports legislation that allocates funding to provide technical support and capacity to the state’s local workforce development boards as they incorporate new funding guidelines, program goals and reporting requirements to advance the state’s Economic Recovery and High Road Training Partnership goals.
• Broadband – CWA supports legislation that closes the digital divide in order to unlock access to job trainings, career opportunities, apprenticeships and more.
• Climate resiliency – CWA supports investments in clean and renewable energy and transportation sustainability that result in quality, career opportunities for disadvantaged Californians.