From bob.estabrook at state.or.us Thu May 17 16:04:03 2012 From: bob.estabrook at state.or.us (Estabrook Bob) Date: Thu, 17 May 2012 23:04:03 +0000 Subject: NEWS RELEASE: Avakian, Legislators Tour Lane County Youth Training Program Message-ID: <050F2D1BA8177F4B927C6F3AC041EF82B593CB@D5DAG1B.D5.USA.NET> Press Release For Immediate Distribution May 17, 2012 CONTACT: Bob Estabrook, 503-709-0730 Avakian, Legislators Tour Lane County Youth Training Program State Labor Commissioner and local leaders spotlight new partnership EUGENE- Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) Commissioner Brad Avakian and Lane County legislators today toured the state-of-the-art training center at the Sheet Metal Institute ? Springfield Campus, interacting with students from Bethel, Pleasant Hill and Springfield School Districts who are receiving hands-on experience as part of a new career and technical education partnership between the school districts and local labor unions. ?The collaboration that drives this program is the key to our economic success as a state,? said Avakian, whose top priority as labor and industries commissioner is restoring ?21st century shop classes? to every middle and high school in Oregon. ?The investment by community partners like organized labor is crucial in ensuring that kids have the skills to take on high-wage jobs at an earlier age, and in ensuring that employers can find the skilled workforce that they need.? The three local school districts are partnering with Sheet Metal Workers Local 16 for the pilot, and adding IBEW Local 280 and Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 290 next year, to create this unique pre-apprenticeship class that promotes awareness of high-wage, high-demand careers as well as transferable job skills. Fourteen students were chosen to participate in the pilot from a much larger pool of applicants. BOLI?s high school integration initiative facilitated the formation of the cooperative partnerships that support the program, and BOLI helps to administer the new statewide grant fund that is investing in replicating and expanding programs like the Lane County partnership throughout the state. Interest in and support for that grant fund has been significant, driven in part by broad recognition that Oregon students have limited options for career and technical education.. ?I?m thankful to have so many Oregonians, from educators to employers to organized labor and others in the community, actively engaged in creating these new opportunities for our students,? Avakian added. ?Getting high-quality career and technical education options into all of our schools will happen faster, and pay greater dividends, if we work in concert with local employers and community partners?exactly the way this program is working.? ###### The mission of the Bureau of Labor and Industries is to protect employment rights, advance employment opportunities, and protect access to housing and public accommodations free from discrimination. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 05 17 12 BOLI Release - Lane County CTE.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 29494 bytes Desc: 05 17 12 BOLI Release - Lane County CTE.pdf URL: