White House report calls for job-driven training

The Obama administration released a report Tuesday recommending practices to revamp job training programs to make them more job-driven while expanding the technology and health care fields.

The 76-page report identified three problems: Employers are unable to find workers with the appropriate skill set to fill jobs. Available education and training do not match employers' needs, and the workforce is not aware of available training programs.

According to the report, the federal government allocated $17 billion in fiscal 2014 for federal employment and training programs, while U.S. employers spent more than $450 billion on training.

Senior White House officials said they were looking to identify models and practices that work and translate them to new industries, such as health care and information technology.

The report emphasized apprenticeships as a means for growth, claiming they are a 'proven path” to employment for the middle class.

Plans include making $100 million available for apprenticeship grants, along with awarding roughly $1.4 billion in competitive grants for training programs.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 1.3 million new computer-related jobs will need to be filled by 2022.

To accommodate the growing demand, the report said the federal government will launch a $25 million online skills academy designed to decrease the time it takes to complete training.

The report coincides with President Barack Obama's signing of a bipartisan bill, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, that provides billions of dollars in funding for job training and education programs.