INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -
Gov. Eric Holcomb has signed workforce development legislation that he
believes will help Indiana tackle its shortage of trained workers.
The two bills
signed Wednesday were a top priority for Holcomb and Republican lawmakers.
The measures will
create a new 21-member board to oversee the state's job training programs,
while broadening eligibility requirements for some worker training grants.
However, Holcomb's
plan will require a waiver from the U.S. Department of Labor so the state
can continue receiving $49 million in federal funding. The board Holcomb
sought doesn't meet federal requirements.
Holcomb said his
administration has been in communication with the Labor Department and will
request that waiver by the end of this week.
Democrats maintain
the workforce bills don't actually do much. They compared the effort to
rearranging deck furniture.