March 31, 2006
JS-4148

Treasury Secretary Visits North Carolina
to Discuss Worker Training, Energy Technology

Henderson County, N.C . –  United States Treasury Secretary John Snow will be in Henderson County, N.C. today to visit a local community college and a company that is an industry leader in fuel cell technology, an alternative energy source.

 "As Treasury Secretary, I'm dedicated to sustaining the strength of the U.S. economy for future generations. Worker training and innovative energy solutions are two critical components of that ongoing effort," Snow said.

At Blue Ridge Community College, Snow will receive a tour of the campus and talk with college leaders and community partners. "Community colleges are playing a critical role today because while the outstanding American workforce drives our economy, workers will always need to adapt their skills to compete in what's becoming, more and more, a global economy," Snow said. He cited a recent Department of Labor study that showed 90 percent of the fastest growing jobs in our economy require education beyond high school. "It is clear that job training is essential, but we also know that it is meaningless unless it is for jobs that actually exist. That means the priority must be job-training programs that are flexible and work with local employers and community leaders to meet the demands of both the local workplace and the global economy. That's precisely what Community Colleges offer, in an efficient and low-cost way."

By reforming job training programs and supporting community colleges, the Administration is helping workers improve their lives and ensuring that America remains the world's leading land of opportunity. The Administration's commitment to community colleges is illustrated in the Community-Based Job Training Grants program, administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, that are designed to provide job training in high-growth industries. This commitment has been supported by $125 million in 2005 and 2006 for the program to provide training for 100,000 workers. The President's Fiscal Year 2007 budget supports these efforts with a $150 million request, which would provide training for 160,000 workers.

Snow's visit to SELEE Corporation will include a tour of the facilities and a roundtable with area business leaders. SELEE is a technical ceramics firm that reinvests approximately half of company profits in fuel cell technology. "America needs to be focused on having alternative energy resources for the future," Snow said. "The potential for hydrogen-powered fuel cells to power vehicles, homes and businesses with no pollution or greenhouse gases is tremendous, and it is important to the U.S. from environmental, economic and national security perspectives. That's why the President is dedicated to promoting the development of commercially-viable cells, announcing in his State of the Union Address a $1.2 billion Hydrogen Fuel Initiative aimed at developing the technology for hydrogen fuel cells."

Snow went on to say that "The work being done at SELEE is a wonderful example of how innovation and technology will lead us to a new day of reduced reliance on foreign sources of energy. Clean, efficient alternative sources of energy for our vehicles, homes and businesses are of vital importance to America's ability to remain competitive and safe, and those energy sources will be developed and produced by American scientists and entrepreneurs like those at SELEE."