Members of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) urged members of Congress and their staff during visits to Capitol Hill today to back legislation that increase the number of trained job candidates and support measures promoting energy efficiency.
NARI's visit to Washington came at a time in which remodelers nationwide were reporting trouble finding workers and saying they could do far more business if only they had the staff to meet demand.
"It is critical for the remodeling and construction industries, along with the government and education sectors, to all work together to help address this growing, complex problem," a NARI issue brief declares. To that end, NARI members urged passage of several initiatives:
- Reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career & Technical Education Act, which supports programs helping students in career technical education programs.
- Expansion of Pell Grant eligibility to short-term training programs for skills and credentialing in high-demand jobs.
- Encouragement to states to examine how they can expand access to career and technical education programs, both during high school and after graduation.
As for energy efficiency, NARI promoted legislation that achieves that objective but so long as it "does not create additional or competing requirements that would place NARI members at a competitive disadvantage."
It urged Congress to continuing permitting tax credits for purchases of energy-efficient home improvements. It supports bills that would encourage the development of energy-efficient technologies and strengthen model building codes to make new homes and commercial buildings more energy-efficient. And it endorsed "measures that recognize the value of home energy improvements to existing homes."
