ETA News Release: October 19, 2004[]
Contact Name: Ed Frank or Lorette Post
Phone Number: 202-693-4676 or X3984
U.S. Secretary of Labor Announces $24.2 Million Advanced Manufacturing Initiative
First Grant of $3.2 Million Awarded to Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership
BEAVERTON, Ore. - U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced a new national Advanced Manufacturing Initiative totaling more than $24.2 million to address workforce challenges in this growing field. As part of the kickoff, Deputy Secretary of Labor Steven J. Law visited Beaverton to present the first grant of $3.2 million to the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). The Advanced Manufacturing grants are part of the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative, a strategic effort to prepare workers with the skills they need to take advantage of new job opportunities in high growth sectors of the American economy.
"Today we are kicking off a new $24.2 million initiative to train workers for the next manufacturing industry generation," said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "To remain competitive in a global economy, manufacturers need workers skilled in advanced manufacturing techniques. Today's grant of $3.2 million to the Oregon MEP will add at least 2,000 workers with those skills in the food processing segment of the industry."
The Labor Department investment will allow the Idaho, Oregon and Washington MEPs and the Nevada Management Assistance Partnership (MAP) to provide lean manufacturing training for 48 food processing companies. Hispanic workers, who make up about 30 percent of the region's food manufacturing workforce, will be a major focus of the project which will have a strong English language component. On-the-job training will be conducted and each participating company will identify a bilingual leader to provide ongoing support for workers.
"American manufacturing is transforming itself to meet the challenges of the future," said Deputy Secretary Law, who presented the check to the Oregon MEP. "Food processing, one of our leading manufacturing sectors, has maintained steady growth and needs a new generation of workers with high-tech skills. Advanced manufacturing grants like this one are designed to meet this and other workforce needs as manufacturing continues to evolve."
Through the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative, the Labor Department has been conducting executive forums with leaders of expanding industries to identify critical workforce gaps and issues. Solutions, like those found in today's grant, are then created in cooperation with employers, educational institutions and the public workforce system.
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