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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><A name=OLE_LINK1><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Press Release<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></A></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">For Immediate Distribution<o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">November 4, 2011<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">CONTACT: Bob Estabrook, 503-709-0730<o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"></SPAN>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=Legislative align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 15pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">BOLI continues competition for $900,000 in workforce contracts <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=Legislative align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">BOLI-ODOT partnership to fund programs for retention, recruitment of construction workers<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=Legislative><FONT face="Times New Roman"><st1:City w:st="on"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">PORTLAND</SPAN></st1:City><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"> – <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>’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.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=Legislative><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">“The contracts we are seeking will empower <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place> workers,” said State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian, head of BOLI. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“These contracts mean <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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.”<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=Legislative><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">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 <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State> in 119 skilled occupations.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=Legislative><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">“We are committing almost half a million dollars to keep working apprentices on the job, which is a pressing priority for <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place>’s workforce,” Commissioner Avakian said.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“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.”<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=Legislative><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">BOLI will issue a third RFP, specifically targeting pre-apprenticeship training and recruitment programs outside the Metro Area, in approximately two weeks.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>That third RFP, representing $250,000 in contracts, will bring the contract total for FY 2012 to some $900,000.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=Legislative><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">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 </FONT><A href="http://orpin.oregon.gov/open.dll/welcome"><FONT color=#0000ff face="Times New Roman">ORPIN.Oregon.gov</FONT></A><FONT face="Times New Roman">.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Note that proposals for each RFP have different submission timelines.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Questions should be directed, in a written format, to:<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=Legislative align=center><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Joshua Rogers, Single Point of Contact<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=Legislative align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman"><st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">1225 Ferry Street SE</SPAN></st1:address></st1:Street><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"> U140 | <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Salem</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">OR</st1:State><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><st1:PostalCode w:st="on">97301-4285</st1:PostalCode></st1:place><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=Legislative align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman"><U><SPAN style="COLOR: blue; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">Joshua.Rogers@state.or.us</SPAN></U><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=Legislative align=center><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">or FAX: 503-373-1626<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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