Last week, America Forward sent recommendations to House and Senate appropriations leaders to inform bicameral, bipartisan negotiations as Congress continues the fiscal year 2026 (FY2026) appropriations progress. Our recommendations emphasize the programs and policies to which the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have proposed distinct approaches to date. America Forward urged congressional leaders to adopt these priorities as they reconcile
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New U.S. Department of Labor Guidance on Maximizing Innovation
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration recently published a significant guidance letter, Maximizing Innovation in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Programs. The letter invites state waiver requests under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and highlights numerous existing flexibilities as a means “to maximize innovation in the public workforce system and better serve job seekers and
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Workforce Innovation in Action: Three Key Lessons Policymakers Can Learn from Employment Social Enterprises
Across the United States, more than 1,000 organizations are implementing a groundbreaking workforce development model: the employment social enterprise (ESE). ESEs are businesses built to do good: they offer jobs, training, and support to people who are getting back on their feet after experiences like incarceration or homelessness. A growing, rigorous evidence base demonstrates that ESEs can make an impressive
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Supporting Effective Postsecondary Navigation: America Forward Recommendations
Students need accurate, responsive, and timely support to identify and assess the overwhelming array of choices they face in their postsecondary journeys, ranging from comparing student loans and grants, to applying to programs and institutions, to ultimately navigating to and through college and achieving a high-quality first post-college job. Last week, America Forward submitted comments to the Senate Health, Education,
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