Washington, D.C. – Early in September Representatives Stephanie Bice (R-OK-05) and Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01) introduced H.R. 5105, the National Defense Workforce Opportunity Act, and a corresponding amendment to the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act.
This legislation addresses workforce challenges impacting the national defense sector and is a product of the work done by the House Armed Services Committee’s Defense Critical Supply Chain Task Force, on which both Reps. Bice and Norcross served.
“This legislation will be a crucial component in workforce development in my district and across the country,” said Rep. Bice. “Modern manufacturing jobs are increasingly high-tech and high-skill, and many positions are left unfilled. By creating partnerships between educational institutions and defense industrial contractors, we’re setting both up for success.”
“The safety of our nation depends on a secure supply chain, and an indispensable part of that chain is manufacturers. The Bipartisan National Defense Workforce Opportunity Act will help bridge the gap between labor organizations, vocational schools, educational institutions, and defense industrial contractors to boost partnerships and focus on career development for Americans seeking careers in manufacturing,” said Rep. Norcross. “By investing in our men and women seeking to learn a trade, we invest in the security of our country.”
The task force met on a weekly basis from March until June, and focused on a wide range of defense supply chain vulnerabilities, including those related to microelectronics, rare earth minerals, and domestic workforce challenges. A key finding of the Task Force was that in order to maintain our nation’s technological and military superiority, we must ensure that the American workforce remains highly skilled and able to out-innovate foreign adversaries like China and Russia.
The National Defense Workforce Opportunity Act and the corresponding amendment to the FY22 NDAA would require the Department of Defense to convene a coalition of workforce and education stakeholders to focus on career development for individuals seeking careers in manufacturing.
The legislation would also require the Department of Defense to report back to Congress on the results of the program, and make recommendations for expanding the scope to potentially include additional subsets of students and job seekers.
