(Lebanon, N.H.) – Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) visited River Valley Community College to discuss her legislation, the Workforce Development Investment Act. Kuster was joined by interim school president Ali Rafieymehr, students, and other school staff members to discuss the importance of the bill to expanding New Hampshire’s workforce. Kuster spoke to graduates of WorkReadyNH, which provides training in the specific skills employers are seeking in their current and future employees.

“Innovative programs like WorkReadyNH at River Valley Community College are exactly the types of collaborative efforts that my legislation would expand and promote,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “Job training and partnerships between community colleges and employers are a commonsense way to get companies the employees they need and workers the careers they want. If we can help get people the skills they need for the 21^st Century economy and place them with a local business then we’ll help expand opportunity, create jobs, and grow our economy.”

"We thank Congresswoman Kuster for stopping by River Valley Community College's Lebanon Academic Center to see the work we are doing every day to support a skilled workforce for New Hampshire, through partnerships with employers and programs like WorkReadyNH, where participants learn important skills that will prepare them to enter or grow in our workforce," said River Valley Community College interim president and vice president of academic affairs, Ali Rafieymehr.

Kuster’s legislation would create tax incentives to encourage companies and educators to partner in training programs to help workers gain the skills needed for careers in the 21^st Century economy. Specifically the bill would create a credit to encourage employers to partner with community colleges and career and technical training schools to develop workforce training programs for skills that are in demand within their community or region.  It would also create a separate credit for the cost of direct training conducted as part of an educational partnership or licensed apprenticeship program.  

Congresswoman Kuster was instrumental in opening the new Academic Center in 2016, which was made possible in part by a $1.6 million federal loan she worked with the Community College System of New Hampshire to secure from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development (USDA-RD).  The loan stemmed from an amendment she introduced to the 2014 Farm Bill directing USDA to partner with local communities to increase investment in rural community colleges.

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