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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 Statement<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">For Immediate Distribution</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">June 21, 2011</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">CONTACT: Bob Estabrook, 503-709-0730</FONT></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal align=center><B><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Avakian Praises Plan to Rebuild Career and Technical Education<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Labor Commissioner thanks legislators, coalition for expanding CTE options in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State> public schools<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><st1:City w:st="on"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">SALEM</SPAN></st1:City><SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> – The Oregon State Senate today joined the House in giving final, unanimous approval to House Bill 3362B, State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian’s priority legislation to reinvigorate career and technical education (CTE) in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State> public schools.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Avakian, head of the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) and <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>’s Apprenticeship and Training Division Division, had this to say on passage of the popular proposal:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">“Enacting this plan, after years of back-and-forth and competing ideas, is really a testament to the broad, diverse coalition that has come together around this issue and created so much momentum.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The contributions of educators, business people, labor unions and other local partners to a few existing programs have set the stage for this important reinvestment in career and technical education, and have shown us how to build very successful programs with very limited resources.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I'm honored to have worked with such a large, committed coalition of Democrats, Republicans and independents--all of whom recognized the fundamental importance of applied, skills-based CTE for our kids.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The legislature’s reinvestment in CTE at this critical time will help build the competitive workforce that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place> needs for a thriving economy in coming years.”<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">Additional information about HB 3362B, the importance of career technical education and the coalition of supporters can be found </FONT><A href="http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI/docs/HB3362-CTE_1-pager.pdf"><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">here</FONT></A><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The bill now goes to Governor Kitzhaber for his signature.</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, advance employment opportunities, and protect access to housing and public accommodations free from discrimination.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P></BODY></HTML>