My job as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment & Training is to help ensure our nation has an educated and prepared workforce. Before we begin, I would like to note that I’m well aware that people from Washington are perceived to be long-winded. I’ll try my best to avoid living up to that perception so we can move on to the important business of the day.

You will all be heading off in different directions after today. Some will quickly enter the economy, finding a job and beginning or continuing your career. Others will go on to further education first. But all of you will be entering a world that is vastly different from what nearly every generation that came before you experienced.

The last decade has witnessed a combination of forces and events that we are now calling globalization. It is best characterized as the instant availability of information, communication, and commerce across any points on the globe. These forces are familiar, even natural, to the youngest among you, but to both Americans even a little older than you and nearly the rest of population on the planet, these events are revolutionary.

The effects are most easily seen in your personal lives, where text messaging and MySpace pages now define how you interact with your friends while iTunes and YouTube provide you with entertainment.

But behind the scenes, the impact of communication and information technology has had a profound effect on the marketplace. Manufacturing companies now have supply chains that stretch all the way around the world with what the industry calls “just-in-time” delivery. Financial services firms trade equities 24 hours a day, borrowing Japanese yen to purchase Kiwi Dollars to hedge against Euro interest rates. And your tax returns are now prepared in India right next to the office where X-rays and CT scans are sent for analysis.

This integrated, global marketplace has, in turn, changed the nature and type of jobs here in the United States. Technology now permeates every industry, from a personal computer in every office, to a durable lap-top on every construction site, to advanced robots on every factory floor. But it isn’t just the presence of technology that has changed American jobs. The opening of markets world-wide means that lower-skill, rules-based jobs can be performed anywhere in the world or even automated out of existence.

This transformation of our economy has caused fear and trepidation in some, but I prefer to see excitement and opportunity. The world is now experiencing a time of transformation and innovation. It is a time when big ideas are being turned into big results. For the United States, there is no better time to be at the top of the global economy. It is here where the greatest leaps in innovation are occurring and where the most opportunity can be found.

For individuals to seize that opportunity though requires them to have higher levels of education and greater specialized skills than ever before. But as you attain those skills, you suddenly become very much in-demand in the economy. Companies across all sectors of the economy tell us they are having a hard time finding people with the skills their businesses require.

To meet those needs, they are turning to our institutions of higher learning including Salt Lake Community College. As graduates, this places you in the enviable position of entering the workforce knowing that you possess the skills to immediately contribute and succeed. The more experienced among you already know this, as you have either left the workforce to pursue those skills here at Salt Lake, or are finding the time during your professional lives to gain the education to advance your careers.

What you have already learned and what the young among us will soon is that life-long learning is now a feature of our economy and our lives. Yes, this means you are not finished with education. The pace of innovation and change is only going to continue to increase and the skills required today are not going to be the same 5 or 10 or 35 years from now. Keeping up with those changes is going to require continuous education and training.

There is one other aspect of the global economy that is going to greatly affect you and that is the emergence of a 24 hour 7 day workweek. That doesn’t mean the weekends are history or that you’ll all be slaves to the job. Quite the contrary actually. Because economic activity will always be happening, employees and individuals will be in a stronger position to set their own schedules and workweeks.

That doesn’t mean you can emulate our friends from across the Atlantic and institute a 35 hour workweek for yourself, but it does mean that 9-to-5 Mon-thru-Fri may very well be a thing of the past.

So, how can graduates of the Salt Lake Community College take advantage of this new world and carve their name in it?

First, in an innovation economy defined by what you know, you better have passion for what you do. It is the surest way to enjoy your professional life and make a mark in the industry of your choice. I can summarize this in a single phrase – follow your passion, not your pension.

Second, in pursuit of your passion, do not be afraid of risk. The U.S. economy is designed to both encourage and reward risk-taking. In fact, an entire industry is dedicated to financing those who take risks. Follow this path, and you may be the next in a long line of famous U.S. entrepreneurs.

And third, take full advantage of every opportunity that you have to expand your horizons. As some of you already know, and others will quickly learn, it becomes very easy to focus on the next week’s paycheck or the next month’s mortgage. You certainly don’t want to forget about those things, but they are not all there is to life. Sometimes you just need to step back and try something new. Perhaps you’ll discover a passion you never knew you had.

Finally today, let me recognize the role that the faculty and administrators have played in making this celebration possible. Your dedication, hard work, and commitment to the excellence of these fine graduates have set them on the path towards successful careers and fulfilling lives.

This is an exciting time for the Class of 2007 to be entering the economy and I envy the opportunities that lay before you. Salt Lake Community College has provided you with tools to succeed and I wish all of you the best of luck in your pursuit of happiness.

God Bless you all and God Bless America. Thank you.