Impact of the H-1B Ready to Work Program

For nearly three decades, defense manufacturing firm Bright Lights USA has supplied mechanical components for the military of the United States and allied nations. Led by founding CEO Daniel Farber, Bright Lights USA has also been involved in government programs that develop the American workforce. 

Bright Lights USA recently participated in an event hosted by the H-1B Ready to Work program, which allocated funding to enable people who are chronically unemployed to gain the skills they need to obtain employment in high-demand fields. Since 2014, the Department of Labor has awarded workforce development programs more than $170 million annually in multiyear grants to meet the program’s objectives. 

From January to March 2018, nearly 20,000 people participated in a Ready to Work-funded program. The majority of these participants had been unemployed for more than six months. Approximately 40 percent had found work by the end of March.

What Is the H-1B Ready to Work Program?

Founded in 1990, Bright Lights USA manufactures mechanical and electro-mechanical spare parts for use in the military. Under the direction of president and CEO Daniel Farber, Bright Lights USA participates in the H1-B Ready to Work program. 

The US Department of Labor’s H-1B Ready to Work program provides funding for counseling, training, and support services to prepare long-term unemployed American workers for careers in middle- and high-skilled jobs. Financing for Ready to Work grants comes from fees paid by employers who participate in the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program, which brings foreign workers into the United States to fill roles in specialty occupations. 

The Department of Labor launched the Ready to Work program in 2014 with authorization from the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act. The program's ultimate goal is to reduce the country’s need for foreign workers by equipping long-term unemployed Americans with the skills required in industries served by H-1B visa recipients. In October 2014, the Department of Labor announced nearly $170 million in Ready to Work grants distributed to organizations in 20 US states and Puerto Rico.