Representatives Blake Moore, Burgess Owens Co-Lead Bill to Increase Workforce Opportunities

Representatives Blake Moore, Burgess Owens Co-Lead Bill to Increase Workforce Opportunities

WASHINGTON - Representatives Blake Moore (UT-01) and Burgess Owens (UT-04) introduced the Modernizing Access to Talents, Credentials, and Hiring (MATCH) Act of 2026 to transform America's outdated workforce system by establishing state-led talent marketplaces.

The MATCH Act connects workers to jobs and training based on their verified skills and credentials, rather than only what is included on a resume. This legislation helps modernize workforce systems by improving how a person's skills, credentials, and work experience are recognized and verified, and how they are then connected with tailored opportunities.

"America's outdated workforce system relies on degrees and resumes and often fails to capture a worker's actual skills and experience. The MATCH Act supports state-led talent marketplaces and portable learning records," Rep. Moore said. "Allowing verified credentials will increase opportunities for workers and employers. We should strive to match talent to jobs based on proven competencies rather than just paperwork, and this bill helps us get there."

"America's promise has always been that if we educate our children and teach them to work hard, they will be able to find meaningful employment and create a better life than those who came before them. The MATCH Act helps restore that promise and modernize our workforce, and connects real talent to real opportunity. No one is reduced to a line on a résumé; every achievement is seen, valued, and ready to open doors of opportunity," Rep. Owens said.

"As our workforce shifts toward a more skills-based model, employers often struggle to find qualified candidates, while job seekers face challenges in effectively demonstrating their abilities. This legislation helps close that gap by recognizing that valuable skills are gained in many ways-not just through traditional degrees-and ensuring those skills are visible, portable, and trusted. It's a win for both workers and employers, making hiring more efficient and delivering better matches with less guesswork," said Chairman Tim Walberg, Education and Workforce Committee.

"The MATCH Act of 2026 moves skills-based hiring a meaningful step forward by modernizing how skills, credentials, and jobs connect. By supporting interoperable talent marketplaces and learning and employment records, the bill gives workers control of their data while helping employers and states make clearer, more transparent hiring decisions," said Rosemary Lahasky, Head of Government Relations, Pearson.

"A stronger economy for America depends on a workforce system that works for businesses and for people. By modernizing WIOA and investing in talent marketplaces, we will meet the rapidly growing and changing demands of employers while unlocking greater opportunity across every sector of the economy for every American," said Greg DiDonato, Vice President, EBSCOed.

The MATCH Act:

• Authorizes states to develop talent marketplaces-digital platforms that match workers to jobs and training based on verified skills, credentials, and experience.
• Supports the use of portable learning and employment records that allow workers to carry their verified skills and credentials across jobs, programs, and state lines.
• Creates credential registries to clearly define what degrees, certificates, and training programs represent in terms of skills and competencies.
• Establishes a Workforce Data Quality Initiative grant program (using existing WIOA funds) to help states build and improve workforce data systems and talent marketplaces.
• Requires accessible workforce information through user-friendly, searchable public websites to improve transparency for workers and employers.
• Promotes interoperability and open standards to ensure systems can work across state lines and institutions, supporting worker mobility and reducing duplication.

Read the full bill here.

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