FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 7, 2003

Winema Jobs Center, Chemeketa Community College - The report from the Governor's Task Force on Workforce Development was released at a special workforce Strategy Event at the Winema Jobs Center, Chemeketa College. Lita Colligan was also introduced as the Governor's new staff member to coordinate workforce policy.

Speakers in order of appearance were: Governor Kulongoski; Co-Chairs of the Task Force Matt Henessee and Tim Nesbitt; Gretchen Schuette, President of Chemeketa Community College and member of the State’s Workforce Investment Board; and Sherry Lauer, Fairfield Communities, Inc., representing the private business sector served by the regional partnership of workforce and economic development in Marion, Polk and Yamhill Counties.

Talking points of Governor Kulongoski and Gretchen Schuette are presented below.

Talking Points of the Governor's Speech:

Economic development is one of my key priorities as governor. We cannot have a prosperous Oregon unless we have competitive businesses and good jobs that pay family wages. I am hard at work on an economic development strategy to put Oregonians back to work and help businesses thrive.

A central ingredient to economic success is a skilled workforce. Time and again, when I speak with business leaders, they emphasize the need for skilled workers now and in the future. Technology changes rapidly, and it is not enough to prepare our young people in schools for the jobs of the future. We must also help workers and businesses cope with the rapid changes in today's economy by identifying skill needs and train people for the jobs of the future.

I asked Matt Hennesee, a successful business leader, and Tim Nesbitt, President of the Oregon AFL-CIO, to form an transition task force to give me recommendations on how to create a workforce development strategy that moves beyond the social service model to be part of an economic strategy to help Oregon's economy recover and grow.

Today I release the report of this task force, and I endorse its recommendations with great enthusiasm.

In brief, we have a three-point plan for workforce development in Oregon.

First, we intend to bring a renewed emphasis on skill upgrades and working with business and labor to link economic development and workforce development.

Second, we will develop in each region and statewide, a single point of contact for businesses seeking information and assistance in economic develop matters and training. We are now piloting a new hotline, the 311 number, for information on economic development and jobs and training. Oregonians will be able to get the information they need by calling 311 where trained operators will direct them to first response teams around the state.

Third, we plan to create a new strategic training fund available to businesses, industries and workers' association, for training to upgrade the skills of the workforce. We want to put the DEVELOPMENT back in "workforce developmen" by initiating bold new training strategies on a regional and industry level. The Legislative vehicle for this fund is HB 2302, now in Ways and Means. There is still work to do, but we must move forward with this fund to make Oregon competitive with other states who invest far more in training.

These are bold suggestions, but they are not entirely new. We plan to build on the good works and models from around the state. And one of the best models is right here in the Marion -Polk -Yamhill region. The local economic development agency, SEDCOR, has partnered with the state economic development department, the local Workforce Investment Board (the Enterprise for Employment and Education, the Mid-Willamette Workforce Network, Chemeketa Community College, the Mid-Willamette staffing Association and local business to deliver rapid response services to businesses seeking to expand or locate in the area, providing training and other services. They call themselves the WIN team, for Workforce Investment Network, and it is a model we hope to replicate around the state. It is public-private cooperation at its best, and it works to deliver information and services in an efficient way. It is a great example of our how our tremendous community college network has collaborated with local partners to provide training to thousands of workers and businesses each year.

We are now developing our staffing and office to carry out this strategy. Margaret Hallock will continue to be the Workforce Policy Advisor. Her background in workforce matters is already paying off with this new approach. And today it is my pleasure to announce that, beginning June 1, Lita Colligan will become the Workforce Policy Coordinator in my Office of Education and Workforce. Lita comes to us from the Portland Development Commission where she was a Business Development manager. She worked with key sectors such as bioscience and creative services to meet training and expansion needs of business and workers. She also led the Workforce Training and Hiring Program at the City of Portland for several years. Thus her skills bridge the workforce and economic development communities. She and Margaret will be responsible for implementing my strategy.

I want to thank all who participated in developing this strategy: the co-chairs of the task force Matt Henessee and Tim Nesbitt, President Gretchen Schuette of Chemeketa Community College, and Agnes Balassa of the Local Workforce Board, and all of the workforce partners -- educational institutions, local workforce boards, public agencies, private businesses and others -- throughout the state. Thank you for your fine work – we will build on it and expand it to meet build a stronger economic future for our great state.

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Talking Points of Gretchen Schuette's Speech:

Governor, partners, and colleagues . .

It is extremely important to have a coherent strategy that links economic development and workforce development in Salem and around the state. We appreciate the opportunity to have the launch of Governor Kulongoski’s current workforce strategy here at the Winema Job and Career Center . . . a place that models public/private partnerships, a gathering place for a host of people who pride ourselves on being key elements in a system of support and response with businesses, industries, labor and workers.

We hope to lead with you, Governor, in delivering what the state needs at this critical time in our future—jobs and healthy business.

The people and partners of Marion/Polk/and Yamhill counties are ready. We know there is a lot to do; but, as my sister's answering machine says for her when she's not there . . . "you know what to do and how to do it." We know what to do and how to do it. We have been working here in Region 3 to serve the people of the region and the businesses of the region . . . to indeed fuel the engine of economic growth. Services, yes, but our interaction is with businesses as partners, key designers of our economic vitality.

As a member of your Oregon Workforce Investment Board, Governor . . . I am appreciative of the leverage at the state level your strategy can provide. We are very hopeful and will work to ensure that your workforce strategy can be the kind of job-based, demand-based jumpstart of greater things. Let's get going.

Speaking also as president of an Oregon community college, we, Oregon's community colleges, can deliver. We have worked hard, and we will work hard; we're ready to have what we've been doing expand and grow to more fully meet the needs of Oregonians.

We have been building a systematic delivery system with partners. We have been about business retention, expansion, and recruitment, retraining of workers facing dislocation, and rapid response to help businesses avert layoffs and closures . . . along with our day in/day out work of educating for jobs and retraining for better jobs. We have a mission and a calling for this workforce work . . . and we have a side-by-side approach with our business partners.

Give us flexibility to meet local needs, a resource nudge, aggressive partners, and a strategic direction that we can buy into and watch us go even further for the people of Oregon. Thank you for this new opportunity to be players in moving the state forward