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ETA News Release: [July 16, 2008]
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Contact Name:
Phone Number: |
Jennifer Kaplan
202-693-5052 |
Terry Shawn
202-693-4676 |
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Minnesota’s M-Powered receives U.S. Labor Department’s Recognition of Excellence Award for ‘leveraging the power of partnerships’
Honor presented at national Workforce Innovations Conference
NEW ORLEANS – M-Powered of Minneapolis, Minn., today received the U.S. Department of Labor’s Recognition of Excellence award in the “leveraging the power of partnerships” category at the national 2008 Workforce Innovations Conference being held in New Orleans. Throughout this week, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Brent R. Orrell is presenting the fifth annual Recognition of Excellence Awards, which honor workforce investment system programs from around the country that have achieved outstanding success.
“The M-Powered program for attracting workers to Minnesota’s precision metals manufacturing industry has recruited three times the workers expected,” said Orrell. “At the same time, workers trained under this program are earning wages at higher than anticipated levels.”
M-Powered was created in 2004 when the Minneapolis-based nonprofit workforce development agency HIRED came together with Hennepin Technical College and the Precision Metalforming Association to address worker shortages in the metalforming industry. The program focuses on preparing low-income Minnesota job seekers and current workers for careers in metal stamping/sheet metal fabrication, welding and machining operations. Driven by the critical shortage of workers in precision metals manufacturing, this program provides participants with a three-phase, fast-track training program.
M-Powered has exceeded many of its goals. Between April 2005 and December 2007, 154 individuals were trained, with nearly 94 percent placed in jobs. In 2005, the National Association of Manufacturers selected M-Powered to operate a job training demonstration project. The Hitachi, Annie E. Casey and Ford Foundations jointly funded this project.
The Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration presents Recognition of Excellence honors in five categories. The “leveraging the power of partnerships” category recognizes programs, projects or initiatives that demonstrate sustained partnerships.
The Workforce Innovations Conference offers an annual opportunity for state and local government representatives, private sector workforce and economic development officials, and educators to collaborate on issues affecting the U.S. workforce.
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U.S. Labor Department (DOL) releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office. Please specify which news release when placing your request. Call (202) 693-7765 or TTY (202) 693-7755. DOL is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance.
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