Landrieu: Addressing ‘skills gap’ crucial to reviving economy

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu has co-authored a Wall Street Journal op-ed that outlines ways to close the gap between people looking for work and employers that have skilled job openings waiting to be filled. Landrieu, who chairs the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, wrote the column with fellow Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. The senators say a key step is reforming the Workforce Investment Act, which guides federal workforce development policies. “We also need to expand innovative approaches that have produced results, such as career pathways programs that provide labor-market information to students and job seekers about in-demand jobs, and the skills and education necessary to get them,” Landrieu and Murray say. “We should also support public–private partnerships that draw on the expertise of successful members of the business community to help provide assistance and job-preparation advice to our workforce.” Read the full column here.