WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, reintroduced bipartisan legislation that would provide states and Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs) with budgetary flexibility to implement programming that responds directly to local employment needs.

Peters’ Lifelong Learning Act would update the 2014 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to allocate additional resources to workforce training programs that address current talent shortages by upskilling existing employees and reconnecting individuals to the job market.

Currently, WOIA provides federal funding to LWDBs, but the amount of funding that can be utilized for specific programs is limited.