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Remarks Prepared for Delivery by
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
Skills to Build America's Future
Partner Meeting
Washington, D.C.
Tuesday, April 6, 2004
Partners :
- National Heavy and Highway Alliance:
- International Union of Operating
Engineers;
- United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America;
- International
Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing Iron
Workers;
- Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' International Association;
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters;
- International Union of Bricklayers
and Allied Craftworkers; and
- National Heavy and Highway Alliance.
- Construction Industry Roundtable
(CIRT)
- National Association of Home Builders
Good morning and welcome! I am delighted that you are here today as partners
to launch the Skills to Build America's Future Initiative.
This initiative will build national awareness of the importance of the skilled
trades and raise public awareness about the wonderful job opportunities for
skilled workers.
We all recognize the importance of the skilled trades to America's future.
Thanks to the talents of America's skilled trades men and women, our country
has the greatest infrastructure in the world. Our magnificent skyscrapers,
our bridges and our homes, our cities and our towns are the envy of the world—thanks
to you and your members.
Yet we know from you that this vital industry is facing a shortage of workers.
Over the next decade, many new jobs will be created in the skilled trades.
Many others will be opened up as the Baby Boomers retire. As partners, we
can let schools and communities know that careers in the skilled trades are
plentiful, lucrative and fulfilling.
The Skills to Build America's Future Initiative will encourage Americans
to pursue jobs in the skilled trades. And it will help workers prepare for
and succeed at the fulfilling and well-paying jobs available in this industry,
which is so important to our nation's future.
This approach supports the Department of Labor's emphasis on training workers
for real jobs in the real world, especially in high-growth industries, such
as construction, where our nation is facing a shortage of skilled workers.
Let me just briefly describe the Department's 6-point action plan for this
initiative:
First, we plan to use the Web site CareerVoyages.gov as the home for information
about this initiative. We'd like you to help us build this site. And we want
to provide links to your organizations, so students and workers can learn
about the training programs and employment opportunities available through
your local organizations.
Second, we will work with you to encourage governors and state legislatures
to promote the skilled trades.
Third, we'd like you to help us provide high schools with information about
the opportunities available in the skilled trades. In fact, we have a letter
here today that your staff representatives helped develop for high school
guidance counselors.
It tells them about the wonderful opportunities in the skilled trades and
asks them to encourage their students to pursue these opportunities. I hope
you'll join me in signing it.
Fourth, we'd like to work with you to identify opportunities to speak at
high schools, trade schools, new construction sites and other venues to discuss
opportunities in the skilled trades.
Fifth, we want to provide information, via newspaper, television and radio,
about opportunities in the skilled trades.
Finally, we want to work with sports leagues. We will ask athletes to speak
about the opportunities in the skilled trades. We will also do outreach at
sporting events.
The Department of Labor is fully funding this Initiative. We welcome your
input and your suggestions.
Now, I'd like to turn things over to Emily DeRocco, Assistant Secretary
for Employment and Training here at the Department of Labor. She will describe
our action plan in greater detail and then we wil sign the letter.
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