Bill Overview
Title: Empowering Individuals to Succeed Through Education and Workforce Training Act
Description: This bill directs the Department of Labor to award grants to provide support services (e.g., transportation, child or dependent care, housing, and other needs-related payments) for individuals receiving workforce training and education.
Sponsors: Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9]
Target Audience
Population: People involved in workforce training and education programs
Estimated Size: 15000000
- The bill targets individuals receiving workforce training and education.
- Programs involved often target unemployed or underemployed adults.
- Many of the targeted programs may also focus on individuals facing economic barriers such as lack of transportation or housing support.
- This could include individuals who are recovering from financial crises, domestic issues, or are otherwise marginalized.
Reasoning
- The population of interest includes those involved in workforce training and education. These individuals are often unemployed or underemployed and may be dealing with economic, social, or accessibility barriers to success.
- The budget allows for a large-scale intervention but must be allocated strategically to reach the target population effectively. We can expect to provide services to approximately 15 million people over 10 years, impacting their wellbeing based on the removal of barriers like transportation and childcare.
- The Cantril wellbeing scores are a useful measure here to understand the subjective improvement in quality of life due to policy implementation. Participants' scores in various future years serve to predict the gradual impact of the support services.
- Simulating a wide range of perspectives, including from those not directly impacted, will help in understanding both direct and peripheral effects of the policy.
Simulated Interviews
Currently unemployed, seeking job skills training (Detroit, MI)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy would really help me with my transportation difficulties. Sometimes, I can't even attend my training sessions because I can't get there.
- Having childcare support would relieve a huge burden and allow me to focus on my training.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Part-time retail worker, attending evening courses (Rural Kentucky)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to better transportation would make it easier to attend classes consistently.
- I could use some help with housing costs so that I can invest more time into my education.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Tech worker, looking to shift careers with additional training (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 26 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Housing support would make it feasible for me to continue my career training without taking excessive loans.
- Access to policy benefits would probably push me to a more stable working situation sooner.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Administrative assistant, enrolled in college part-time (New York City, NY)
Age: 22 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 6.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The thought of receiving assistance for transportation and housing would be a lifesaver while I work and study.
- Policy like this can help reduce the stress of day-to-day life expenses.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Freelance graphic designer, part-time student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Support for child care and transportation could really make a difference in my education path.
- I might be able to pick up more reliable work if I could consistently complete my course.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Office worker, currently upskilling (Austin, TX)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The program could help balance my financial issues while I focus on my upskilling.
- It might be the difference between being just okay and thriving.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Factory worker, undertaking training for advancement (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy could provide the cushioning I need to complete my training without skipping days.
- Support services would ease stress resulting from economic uncertainties.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Hospitality worker, learning coding (Miami, FL)
Age: 33 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Transportation support is something I’d benefit from almost immediately.
- The policy could make a big difference in completing my training smoothly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Retired, but retraining for part-time work (Seattle, WA)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Assistance with housing would make retraining a viable option to improve my standard of living.
- Knowing there are resources available makes the idea of returning to work less overwhelming.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Seasonal retail worker, enrolled in training programs (Chicago, IL)
Age: 31 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having steady transportation would help to not miss any of my training.
- Childcare provision could allow me to focus properly on my education path.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $6000000000 (Low: $5000000000, High: $7000000000)
Year 2: $6100000000 (Low: $5100000000, High: $7100000000)
Year 3: $6200000000 (Low: $5200000000, High: $7200000000)
Year 5: $6400000000 (Low: $5400000000, High: $7400000000)
Year 10: $6600000000 (Low: $5600000000, High: $7600000000)
Year 100: $8000000000 (Low: $7000000000, High: $9000000000)
Key Considerations
- The success of the program is contingent upon successful implementation of support services.
- There is a need to ensure accessibility and adequacy of services provided to participants.
- Potential for regional discrepancies in service availability and costs.
- The variability in cost estimates reflects regional differences and uncertainties in projected participant numbers.