Brown, Stabenow, Feingold, Snowe, Clinton Manufacturing Training Amendment Passes

March 14, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), announced that their amendment to enhance manufacturing training passed as part of the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution. While the budget bill extends research and development tax credits, increases the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and supports the development of green jobs, the Brown-Stabenow-Feingold-Snowe-Clinton amendment ensures that the technical training needed to link skilled employees to 21st century jobs is among the strategies used to revitalize our manufacturing sector.

“A report by the Ohio Department of Development found that 4 of every 10 employers in Ohio are having a hard time finding qualified workers,” Senator Brown said. “We need to keep these good-paying jobs here at home by ensuring workers have access to advanced training. The manufacturing training component added by this amendment is a tool to help U.S. businesses succeed.”

“To stay competitive in the global economy, we must provide American workers with the tools and resources needed to produce the next generation of manufacturing and green collar jobs,” said Senator Stabenow. “This amendment truly adds to a Budget that focuses on what is most important for families across our country – creating good paying jobs here at home.”

“Wisconsin’s manufacturing sector has been through tough times in recent years, due in large part to unfair trade deals,” Senator Feingold said. “We owe it to our skilled workforce to provide critical support for job training so we can ensure they remain competitive in the growing global marketplace.”

Senator Snowe said, “As a Senator from a State with a rich manufacturing history and as Co-Chair of the Senate Task Force on Manufacturing, I have long supported measures to focus on worker training and re-training in order to bolster our manufacturing sector and to help the United States remain competitive with foreign competitors. I am pleased to work with my Senate colleagues, in this bipartisan effort on behalf of our nation’s manufacturers.”

“To create new, well-paying jobs here at home, we must ensure that American workers receive the training they need to meet the demands of the modern manufacturing sector. As co-chair of the Senate Manufacturing Caucus, I applaud passage of this measure, which will help keep the American workforce up-to-speed with the skills required for 21st century jobs,” said Senator Clinton.

The demand for high wage manufacturing jobs is often not met with sufficient supply due to lack of workforce training and retraining. In many states, there is a shortage of skilled welders, machinists, and other manufacturing workers.

The Brown-Stabenow-Feingold-Snowe-Clinton amendment specifies workforce training and retraining as one of the urgent priorities that must be addressed to revitalize America’s manufacturing sector.

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