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Government Relations

Workforce Development

SMRP Policy Recommendation: Promote workforce development in the maintenance, reliability, and physical asset management profession.

Developing a skilled workforce is critical to driving the maintenance, reliability and physical asset management profession forward. As it stands, there are neither enough funds provided to high schools, trade schools and colleges to produce the resources to replace an aging workforce, nor enough incentives to assist companies and local governments with collaborative training (apprenticeship) of future workforce. SMRP recommends the United States government take an assessment of the workforce, support strategies for the development of a skilled workforce, establish grant programs and incentives to encourage additional training, and serve as a clearinghouse for relevant information.

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Perkins Act Reauthorization

The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act continues to remain a vital element of support for career and technical education programs and aligns with SMRP’s mission to develop and educate the increasingly technical workforce. SMRP believes that a newly reauthorized Perkins Act, titled the Strengthening Career and Technical Education (CTE) for the 21st Century Act, is essential to ensuring CTE programs receive federal support for the development and access to high quality CTE programs throughout the United States.  READ MORE

WIOA

A strong technical workforce is vital to the U.S. economy. Employers need the right workers with the right skills at the right time to help drive innovation, increase productivity, and enable companies to remain globally competitive. Workforce development provides workers with the skills needed for employment and advancement opportunities. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is a vital part of the structure and funding support needed for U.S. technical workers to remain an indispensible force in global business.  READ MORE

EARNS Act

The Effective Apprenticeships Rebuild National Skills (EARNS) Act seeks to pair on-the-job training with classroom instruction and allows workers to earn a wage while they learn. While lawmakers are considering solutions to address concerns on the skills gap, SMRP believes that apprenticeship programs represent an obvious solution to current and anticipated worker shortages.  READ MORE

HEOA

Postsecondary education is quickly becoming a necessary step to preparing for the workforce. Career and technical education (CTE) programs continue to be in demand as they consistently meet the needs of employers and students. The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, which served as the 10th reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, provides almost $50 billion in loans, grants, work-study, and institutional aid in support of postsecondary education. SMRP believes that the reauthorization of the HEOA is essential for ensuring that CTE remains a top priority in academics.  READ MORE

 

Letter to House and Senate CTE Caucus Co-Chairs

In January 2017, SMRP joined 84 organizations and businesses to send a letter to the four leaders of the respective House and Senate CTE Caucus urging them to make career and technical education a priority. Last year, the House overwhelmingly voted to approve a bipartisan reauthorization of Perkins, which is overdue for an overhaul and was last reauthorized in 2006. The bill would have altered the definition of those students considered "concentrators" in CTE, allowed states to withhold more federal funding for their own competitive grants and formulas, and permitted the education secretary to award grants to states aligning such programs with their individual workforce needs. But a companion Senate bill to reauthorize Perkins stalled after fighting between Democrats and Republicans about the proper role of the education secretary. Going in to the 115th Congress, CTE allies and advocates have held briefings at the U.S. Capitol to discuss solving workforce development issues under a new president and new session of Congress. 

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Mission

To develop and promote excellence in maintenance, reliability and physical asset management.

Contact us

Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals

3200 Windy Hill Rd, SE, Suite 600W
Atlanta, GA 30339, USA

[email protected]