Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco will address worker shortages in the health-care industry by leading an executive forum in Albuquerque on Aug. 4.
DeRocco will open a dialogue with approximately 125 members of the American Health Care Association to hear directly from health-care executives about their workforce needs, and solicit their recommendations for how to address worker shortages.
The assistant secretary's information-gathering mission is part of the Bush Administration's High Growth Job Training Initiative, a major effort to improve the public workforce system's responsiveness to labor market needs.
Effective August 7, 2003; the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration's (DOL/ETA) Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services (OATELS) will exercise its authority to accept applications for registration of new or modified apprenticeship programs in the State of California for federal purposes. Thus, any sponsor or potential sponsor in California may apply to either the California Division of Industrial Relations (CDIR) or OATELS for program registration. California sponsors and apprentices currently registered with CDIR will continue to be recognized for federal purposes. Should they desire, existing California sponsors may apply for federal registration, but only for programs that seek to modify their programs' occupation(s) or the geographical service area(s). This action furthers the goals of and is consistent with our longstanding interpretation of the National Apprenticeship Act of 1937 and its implementing regulations at 29 CFR parts 29 and 30.
The purpose for exercising federal authority to register apprenticeship programs in the State of California is to insure that:
All qualified sponsors and interested individuals are afforded the opportunity to participate in the National Apprenticeship System;
Applications for program registration are processed and decided upon promptly;
Individual apprentices can choose to receive their training from the apprenticeship programs that best suit their particular needs and preferences;
and
Programs desiring registration for federal purposes have that opportunity.
This service will be helpful in expediting program registrations in the State of California for federal purposes.
The U.S. Department of Labor has certified approximately 144 Intalco Aluminum Corp. workers in Ferndale, Wash., as eligible to apply for assistance and benefits under the Trade Act of 1974.
The certification covers the period from May 14, 2002, to June 26, 2005. Workers laid off or reduced to part-time work during this time may be eligible for extra benefits and services.
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced a National Emergency Grant of over $9.3 million that will aid Washington's trade certified workers. National Emergency Grants are part of the secretary's discretionary fund. A grant is awarded after a state submits a request and the grant guidelines have been met.
"President Bush and I are committed to helping displaced workers access the job and skills training they need to find new jobs that will enable them to provide for themselves and their families," Chao said. "We hope these funds will be deployed as quickly as possible to help these Washington workers."
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced a National Emergency Grant of over $1.4 million that will aid Texas' trade certified workers. National Emergency Grants are part of the secretary's discretionary fund. A grant is awarded after a state submits a request and the grant guidelines have been met.
"The President and I are committed to helping displaced workers access the job and skills training they need to find new jobs that will enable them to provide for themselves and their families," Chao said. "We hope these funds will be deployed as quickly as possible to help these Texas workers."
The U.S. Labor Department has announced a $3 million grant to Saginaw/Midland/Bay Counties Michigan Works! to train approximately 1,500 incumbent Delphi Corporation engineers in the most advanced technologies currently available.
"The 21st century workforce investment system must be demand-driven by the needs of the 21st century employer," said Emily Stover DeRocco, assistant secretary of labor for employment and training. "Our goal is to match workers with the jobs employers need to fill. In these economic times, meeting that goal often translates into assuring that employed workers are trained on emerging state-of-the-art technologies."
