WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided House has passed Republican legislation that would end or consolidate dozens of duplicative job training programs with the objective of making it easier for people to gain the skills they need. It's a goal that President Barack Obama says he shares while disagreeing with the way the GOP would do it. The bill would also increase employers' influence over who gets job training grants.
While there's widespread agreement that current federal job training programs are inefficient and overlapping, Democrats voted overwhelmingly against the bill, saying it would eliminate programs tailored to serve the most vulnerable and exclude union participation in shaping programs.
The vote sends the bill to the Senate where the Democratic majority is likely to take a different approach to job training reform.
