COLUMBIA, SC (WSPA) — A bill that supporters say would streamline South Carolina’s workforce development efforts is on it’s way to the State Senate.
This week, the House overwhelmingly passed the Statewide Education and Workforce Development Act.
The bipartisan piece of legislation is backed by House Speaker Murrell Smith (R-Sumter) and others. The bill would establish the Office of Statewide Workforce Development at the state Department of Employment and Workforce.
The bill would also help bring together business, education and government leaders to come up with a statewide plan to help continue economic growth in the state.
On the House floor, Representative Jay West (R-Anderson) said, “We’ll know what’s working. We can have measurable goals and assessments. We’ll know what return on investment we’re getting. We’ll be able to discontinue any duplicate efforts in workforce and maximize the potential that we have.”
The legislation would also create a one-stop shop for future workers to find job opportunities in South Carolina. It would help the state amplify open high-paying jobs.
“It gives our students an opportunity on an app or a website to see what’s available, what’s coming available, what these jobs actually pay, the credentials you need to get these jobs, where you can get these credentials and what these credentials cost you,” West said.
