NEWS RELEASE: BOLI requests proposals for workforce development

[Bob Estabrook]

Press Release
For Immediate Distribution
November 4, 2011
CONTACT: Bob Estabrook, 503-709-0730
 
BOLI continues competition for $900,000 in workforce contracts 
BOLI-ODOT partnership to fund programs for retention, recruitment of construction workers
 
PORTLAND – Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) today issued its second in a series of three Requests for Proposals (RFP) to offer supportive services targeted at increasing diversity in the highway construction workforce.  The contracts, funded with an allocation of federal highway dollars via BOLI’s partnership with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), will be administered by the state Apprenticeship and Training Division (ATD), a part of BOLI.
 
“The contracts we are seeking will empower Oregon workers,” said State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian, head of BOLI.  “These contracts mean  increased awareness of highway construction careers and fewer barriers for people who are not traditionally directed toward construction career pathways that can lead to high-skill, living-wage jobs. The ongoing partnership between ATD and ODOT will pay huge dividends for our workforce and the construction industry.”
 
ATD plays a key role in workforce development throughout the state, working with local training committees, employers and their community partners to ensure a high-quality, competitive workforce for Oregon in 119 skilled occupations.  The recently announced RFPs are focused on providing specific supportive services to increase diversity in the highway construction workforce via direct supports to active registered apprentices and pre-apprenticeship training and recruitment programs for young people with potential interest in construction careers.
 
“We are committing almost half a million dollars to keep working apprentices on the job, which is a pressing priority for Oregon’s workforce,” Commissioner Avakian said.  “Another $200,000 will go to outreach and education for young people in the Metro Area and an additional $250,000 is slated for youth outreach and education in other regions of the state.”
 
BOLI will issue a third RFP, specifically targeting pre-apprenticeship training and recruitment programs outside the Metro Area, in approximately two weeks.  That third RFP, representing $250,000 in contracts, will bring the contract total for FY 2012 to some $900,000.
 
To view the RFPs and their submission requirements, interested parties must register as a “supplier” on the state’s procurement web page, the Oregon Procurement Information Network, at ORPIN.Oregon.gov.  Programs offering direct support to active apprentices must be ready to start January 1st, while pre-apprenticeship and recruitment proposals should anticipate a March 1st start date.  Note that proposals for each RFP have different submission timelines.  Questions should be directed, in a written format, to:
 
Joshua Rogers, Single Point of Contact
1225 Ferry Street SE U140 | Salem, OR  97301-4285
Joshua.Rogers at state.or.us 
or FAX: 503-373-1626
 
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