AMERICA Works Act

American Manufacturing Efficiency and Retraining Investment Collaboration Achievement Works Act or AMERICA Works Act - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, with respect to statewide and local adult and youth workforce investment employment and training programs, to require a one-stop delivery system, in selecting and approving training services, or programs of training services, to give priority consideration to state- and local board-approved services and programs that lead to an industry-recognized and nationally portable credential that is in high demand in the local area served and listed in the skill credential registry created under this Act.

Requires that funds allocated for local area youth activities be used, in part, for training programs, giving priority consideration to those that lead to a registry-listed credential in high demand in the local area served.

Amends the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to require the same priority consideration in the state and local plans for career and technical education programs as well as in tech prep programs.

Requires the Secretary of Labor to: (1) create a registry of skill credentials; and (2) list in the registry credentials that are required by federal or state law for an occupation, are from the Manufacturing Institute-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System, and are industry-recognized and nationally portable credentials consistent with established industry competency models as well as consistently updated through third party validation to reflect changing industry competencies.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov