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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Bureau of Labor and Industries<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Commissioner Brad Avakian<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Press Release<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">For Immediate Distribution<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:date Month="3" Day="22" Year="2011">March 22, 2011</st1:date><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">CONTACT: Kate Newhall, 503-467-1665<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">BOLI Awards Final Major Contract Under Highway Workforce Development Program<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal align=center><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Agreement with </I><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">ACE</I></st1:PlaceName><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </I><st1:PlaceType><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Academy</I></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> rounds out comprehensive effort to remove barriers to<o:p></o:p></I></FONT></FONT></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">employment, to diversify the workforce, and to keep Oregonians on the job<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></I></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><st1:City><st1:place>PORTLAND</st1:place></st1:City> – <st1:State><st1:place>Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>’s Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) today announced that it has awarded the Academy for Architecture, Construction & Engineering (<st1:place><st1:PlaceName>ACE</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType>Academy</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>) the final major contract under the <st1:Street><st1:address>2011 BOLI-ODOT Heavy Highway</st1:address></st1:Street> Workforce Development Program.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">This statewide program will provide $1 million to support services that increase diversity in the highway construction workforce and help Oregonians gain and keep high-skill, living-wage jobs.</FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">“Nothing is more important to <st1:State><st1:place>Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>’s economy than expanding job opportunities for <st1:State><st1:place>Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>’s workers, and that’s what this program is all about,” said BOLI Commissioner Brad Avakian. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“I’m particularly excited about our efforts to provide students with early training in the highway trades, and our partnership with ACE will focus on knocking down barriers that have traditionally stood in the way of young women pursuing careers in the construction industry.”</FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Pursuant to its agreement with the state, ACE <SPAN style="TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase">A</SPAN>cademy will receive $19,974 to provide students with two in-depth orientations to highway construction careers, one this month, and one in June.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Participating students will receive one-on-one tutoring, career mentoring, and hands-on training with construction repair projects.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">Previous agreements announced under the BOLI-ODOT program include: a $633,265 contract with Cooper Zeitz to provide training and support services statewide; a $172,870 contract with the Oregon and Southern Idaho Laborers-Employers Training Trust to provide training and support services statewide; a $101,313 contract with Portland Community College to provide training and support in the Portland/METRO region; and a $69,458 contract with Portland Youthbuilders focused on youth pre-apprenticeship services in the Portland/METRO region.</FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">“Each of these contracts will play an important role in helping us develop a highly qualified construction workforce for the future,” said Oregon Department of Transportation Director Matt Garrett.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“This program will open doors for <st1:State><st1:place>Oregon</st1:place></st1:State> workers, and it is a key part of our commitment to strengthen our transportation infrastructure and reinforce our economic foundation.” <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoFooter align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The mission of the Bureau of Labor and Industries is to protect employment rights, <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoFooter align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">advance employment opportunities, and protect access to housing and <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoFooter align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">public accommodations free from discrimination.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P></BODY></HTML>