Bush Promises Boost for Job-Training Program

President Bush, his reelection bid bolstered by news of robust job growth, will unveil an employment initiative today aimed at doubling the number of Americans enrolled for skills training under a Clinton-era work-assistance measure, officials said.

During a speech at a Charlotte, N.C., community college, the Republican president will outline his plans to generate $300 million for new job training under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 by reining in the costs and duplicate services of existing programs.

Bush’s goal is to raise from 206,000 to 412,000 the number of Americans who receive full skills training each year as part of Labor Department programs established under the act.

He was also expected to address job training as it relates to high schools and colleges Tuesday in a speech at a community college in Arkansas.

The initiatives are part of a White House counterattack on critics, including Democratic presidential contender Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, who have blamed Bush policies for huge manufacturing job losses and sluggish job growth overall.

Senior administration officials, who spoke on condition on anonymity, told reporters Sunday that the new training initiative would provide workers with “innovation training accounts” and give state governors greater leeway in organizing training programs by reducing federal mandates.