ETA News Release: [November 1, 2004]
Contact Name: Lorette Post
Phone Number: 202-693-3984 or X4676
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao Announces $2 Million Grant to Train Connecticut Workers for Advanced Manufacturing Careers
Grant Is Part of $24.2 Million Advanced Manufacturing Training Initiative
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced a $2 million grant to Workplace, Inc., for training workers in southwestern Connecticut for careers in advanced manufacturing. The grant is part of a $24.2 million advanced manufacturing worker training effort under the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative, which is helping workers find and prepare for jobs in America's fastest growing industries.
"In order to continue to succeed in the worldwide economy, our workers must be skilled in the new technologies that are transforming the manufacturing sector," said Secretary Elaine L. Chao. "That is why we are dedicating $24.2 million to help train workers in advanced manufacturing."
The grant to Workplace, Inc., Southwestern Connecticut's Regional Workforce Development Board, will train more than 500 workers over three years. Working closely with a key partner, ASML US Inc., several small and medium size local manufacturers, and Norwalk and Housatonic Community Colleges, the grantee will provide worker training to address the skill needs of this group of manufacturers in southwestern Connecticut. Workers will receive wage increases and promotions as a result of their training.
"Upgrading the skills of American workers will help the manufacturing industry stay vibrant," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. "This partnership between the public workforce investment system, industry and education will provide businesses with skilled workers and serve as a model for advanced manufacturing training programs throughout the country."
Through the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative, the Department of Labor has been conducting executive forums with leaders of expanding industries to identify critical workforce gaps. Solutions, like today's grant, are then created in cooperation with employers, educational institutions and the public workforce system.
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