Hickenlooper, Marshall Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Support More Workforce Training, Strengthen State Data

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Roger Marshall reintroduced the bipartisan Workforce Data Enhancement Act to improve how we track workforce data across states. Specifically, it would make Workforce Data Quality Initiative (WDQI) grant funding permanent to ensure State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) and other providers of workforce training have the tools they need to measure and evaluate their workforce programs.

"Connecting the dots between learning and earning empowers students, workers, and employers to make better decisions," said Hickenlooper. "Better long-term data on workers' unique pathways helps everyone."

"If you can't measure it, you can't manage it," said Marshall. "The Workforce Data Enhancement Act will help states like Kansas and Colorado improve their workforce development programs and connect more Americans to good-paying jobs. I'm glad to partner with Senator Hickenlooper on this effort."

The Workforce Data Enhancement Act funds the development or enhancement of state-level workforce databases. These databases provide SWAs, employers, educators, workers, and students with data that can be used for evaluating long-term outcomes of individuals through the workforce.

The funding comes from WDQI, which the Department of Labor established in 2010 using funds from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The senators' bipartisan bill would codify the WDQI into law under WIOA.

"Workday greatly appreciates Senator Hickenlooper and Senator Marshall's leadership in introducing The Workforce Data Enhancement Act. Modernizing labor market data isn't just a technical upgrade; it's an economic imperative. Real-time, economy-wide data on emerging roles and skills is key to ensuring workers, jobseekers, and employers have the agility they need to thrive in the coming AI-powered economy. We urge Congress to see this legislation for what it is: a concrete, near-term step that can deliver meaningful progress in growing opportunity and building a skills-based future for all," said Chandler Morse, Vice President of Public Policy, Workday.

"The Workforce Data Enhancement Act would help answer fundamental questions about which training programs work, how to best meet employer needs, and where policymakers should invest," said Maria Flynn, President and CEO of Jobs for the Future. "By strengthening workforce data systems, the bill will help states measure return on investment, give workers the information they need to make informed career decisions, and ensure training aligns with demand. Better data means better outcomes-for workers, for employers, and for communities."

"We know the value of real-time data on the American workforce-especially as jobs evolve and the skills needed to succeed change just as quickly. More states and employers are adopting skills-based hiring, an approach that can significantly expand the available talent pool and connect more people to opportunity, up to 16x in the US, based on LinkedIn data. Modernizing our workforce data systems is critical to keeping pace, particularly as AI reshapes the economy and accelerates demand for new skills," said Catlin O'Neill, Head of U.S. Public Policy & Economic Graph, LinkedIn. "The Workforce Data Enhancement Act is an important step forward in strengthening the data infrastructure that underpins the workforce system to support better decisions by employers and policymakers."

"The Workforce Data Enhancement Act will help modernize state workforce data systems to inform better decision-making, to increase transparency, and to boost understanding of how AI and other emerging technologies are impacting the workforce. The Alliance for Digital Innovation supports this legislation and encourages Congress to support this important legislation," said Ross Nodruft, Executive Director, Alliance for Digital Innovation.

"Modernizing our data systems is essential to a workforce ecosystem where students can confidently compare outcomes, employers trust the credentials they see, and policymakers have the reliable evidence they need to steward public investments. Introduction of the Workforce Data Enhancement Act moves us closer to that goal," said the National Skills Coalition.

"The Skills First Coalition supports the Workforce Data Enhancement Act and commends Senators Hickenlooper and Marshall for advancing a bipartisan effort to modernize how we understand the American workforce. High-quality, real-time data is essential to scaling skills-based hiring, aligning education and training with employer demand, and ensuring workers can navigate a rapidly changing labor market," said the Skills First Coalition. "By strengthening the Workforce Data Quality Initiative and prioritizing multi-state collaboration, this legislation takes an important step toward building a more transparent, interoperable, and forward-looking workforce data infrastructure. At a time when AI and other emerging technologies are reshaping jobs and skills requirements, this kind of investment is critical to ensuring that policymakers, employers, and educators have the insights needed to drive better outcomes for workers. We look forward to working with leaders in both chambers to advance a durable, bipartisan solution as part of WIOA reauthorization."

"By strengthening access to high-quality, real-time labor market information and promoting greater data standardization across states, The Workforce Data Enhancement Act will help better align education and training pathways with the skills employers need in a rapidly evolving economy. BSA commends Senators Hickenlooper and Marshall for their bipartisan leadership. We look forward to working with leaders on both sides of the aisle to advance policies that support a resilient, innovation-driven workforce," said Craig Albright, Senior Vice President of U.S. Government Relations, Business Software Alliance.

Specifically, the Workforce Data Enhancement Act would:

• Direct specific funding for WDQI grants that can last up to 3 years each.

• Require that funding is used to design and improve statewide longitudinal data systems that integrate data from education, workforce development, and labor market outcomes.

• Emphasize data standardization and skill needs transparency.

• Include multistate data collaboratives as eligible grant recipients, prioritizing consortia across multiple states to better understand outcomes of individuals who work across state lines and to identify employment trends.

• Focus on understanding how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence are impacting the workforce.

• Mandate that a report be submitted upon completion of the grant activity.

Hickenlooper, a former small business owner and employer himself, understands the importance of a strong, well-trained workforce. He also understands that access to insightful information on workforce programs better informs career path decisions and sound policy.

As governor, he jumpstarted CareerWise Colorado, a nonprofit designed to create statewide apprenticeship opportunities to prepare students for high-paying, competitive jobs at Colorado companies.

In the Senate, Hickenlooper chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, where he has championed apprenticeship and workforce development opportunities, while also preparing our workforce for the challenges of tomorrow.

For a one-pager of the bill click here. Full text of the bill is available here.

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