Last week, Barbara Stapleton, our SVP of Talent Advancement, had the privilege to represent the Charleston region and our business partners on the Hill. Barbara attended the National Skills Coalition initiative of Business Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships (BLU) hosted #BLUontheHill2022, a Washington, D.C. Fly-in to advance inclusive, high-quality skills training policies that help build the workforce that businesses need to grow and thrive.

As a part of the Carolinas Team, with representatives from Greenville and Charleston, SC and Charlotte, NC, the team met with federal legislators and staff to advocate for sufficient resources to fund federal skills training programs, including incumbent worker training and digital literacy. Additionally, they advocated for support of industry and sector partnerships, critical funding for wrap-around support services and expansion of Pell grant access to short-term, high quality training programs.

These crucial legislative priorities include the need for increased funding to fiscal year 2001 levels for workforce programs, including the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act, Career Technical Education programs, and adult education state grants. The passage of the ACCESS to Careers Act and the PARTNERS Act will provide resources for strong sector partnerships, and the extension of Pell grant availability to bridge the gap to high-quality, short-term training opportunities for our most underserved residents would assist in re-engaging workers at every level along the talent pipeline.