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ETA News Release: [12/19/2005]
Contact Name: David James or Mike Volpe
Phone Number: 202-693-4676 or 202-693-3984
Release Number: 05-2321-DEN

U.S. Department of Labor Announces Over $2.7 Million Grant to Train Workers in Eastern Utah for Energy Industry Careers

Grant Is Part of President's High Growth Job Training Initiative

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a grant of more than $2.7 million to train Eastern Utah workers for careers in multiple sectors of the energy industry. The grant, awarded to the College of Eastern Utah, is part of nearly $27 million in investments made in support of the nation's energy workforce through the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative.

"The growing demand for energy resources is creating new jobs in eastern Utah for workers who possess the right skill sets," said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "With this $2.7 million grant under President Bush's High Growth Job Training Initiative, the College of Eastern Utah will partner with industry to provide training and certification programs so workers can acquire those skills and access these new career opportunities."

Courses will include safety, instrumentation and technical skills certifications with the capacity to train up to 2,100 people annually. Classes also will be offered to Hispanic and American Indian populations in their native languages.

Upon completion of the curriculum, participants will be offered additional training tailored to mining and power generation. Training will lead to a knowledge base that can be transferred across multiple energy industry sectors.

"The training provided by the College of Eastern Utah and its partners will prepare workers with transferable skills, equipping them to compete for good jobs and promotion opportunities," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. "The Eastern Utah energy industry also will benefit from a pipeline of new workers to help address the challenge of a baby-boom workforce ready to retire."

The President's High Growth Job Training Initiative is a strategic effort to prepare workers to take advantage of new job opportunities in high growth sectors of the American economy. Through executive forums with leaders of expanding industries, critical workforce gaps and issues are identified. Solutions are then created in cooperation with employers, educational institutions and the public workforce system. For more information, please visit www.doleta.gov/BRG/JobTrainInitiative/.

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