Multiple Employment Training Programs: Major Overhaul Is Needed

GAO discussed federal employment training programs and the Administration's proposal for consolidating programs that specifically target dislocated workers. GAO noted that: (1) a major overhaul and consolidation of the existing 154 programs is needed to create an effective and efficient employment training system; (2) the current fragmented system is administered by 14 different federal agencies; (3) many programs target the same populations and often have overlapping goals; (4) the current system of federal employment training programs confuses those seeking assistance and frustrates employers seeking qualified job candidates; (5) these programs frequently do not tailor assistance to job seeker needs; (6) eliminating duplicate bureaucracies will reduce administrative costs and allow money to be used for client services; (7) efforts to monitor program performance and outcomes are difficult because some programs cannot readily track participant progress; (8) past efforts to fix the system have not been effective; (9) a new system consisting of significantly fewer programs will afford the best opportunity for improving the quality of employment training services; and (10) the new system should incorporate guiding principles including simplicity, tailored services, administrative efficiency, and accountability.