ETA News Release: [February 17, 2005]
Contact Name: Michael Volpe
Phone Number: 202-693-3984 or 202-693-4676
National Head of Employment and Training Addresses
Indiana’s Biotechnology Industry Leaders
INDIANAPOLIS – Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco in a speech at Garrison House today encouraged approximately 100 Indiana bioscience community leaders from business, education, government and the workforce investment system to join forces to ensure America’s future economic success.
DeRocco’s remarks to the Biotechnology Education Conference focused on connecting leading business sectors in the global economy to educators and others in order to prepare workers for careers in fields like biotechnology.
Excerpts of DeRocco’s prepared remarks are below:
“In the 21st century economy, the competition can come from the company across the street – or across the ocean. Someone, somewhere on the globe will always be able to produce existing goods or provide standardized services at a cheaper price, but only the United States has possessed the freedom and resources and talent to continuously discover and produce ‘the next big thing.’”
“If we are to remain the world’s leading economy ... , we must transform to an innovation economy. As much as we might need to innovate though, it doesn’t happen by formula or fiat. ... A new relationship among companies, government, educators and workers is needed to assure a 21st century economic environment that can successfully adapt and compete with global challenges.”
DeRocco cited the Indiana Health Industry Forum’s creation of a partnership among the state’s biggest biotech companies and several colleges as “exactly the type of partnership the workforce system should be supporting,” but noted that the current system has not yet been afforded the operational flexibility to do so.
The conference, sponsored by the Indiana Health Industry Forum and the Indianapolis Private Industry Council Inc. explored how to shape biotechnology internship programs and how higher education institutions can meet the workforce needs of life science companies.
Through the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative, the Department of Labor has been conducting executive forums with leaders of expanding industries to identify critical workforce gaps and issues. Solutions are then created in cooperation with employers, educational institutions and the public workforce system. For more information, visit www.doleta.gov/BRG/JobTrainInitiative/.
###
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.
