New Manufacturing Website and High Performance Consortium Grants Announced

Actions support the governor's manufacturing workforce strategy

Portland, OR - A new manufacturing workforce website and five new high performance consortium grants were announced by Allen Alley on behalf of Governor Kulongoski at ESCO Corporation in Portland, Oregon today. The website and grants are part a five-year plan for manufacturing developed by a statewide group of business and labor leaders for Governor Kulongoski and the Oregon Workforce Investment Board. The plan, Oregon's Manufacturing Workforce Strategy, is being led by the Northwest High Performance Enterprise Consortium, of which ESCO Corporation is a founding member.

Oregon Biosciences High Performance Consortium

Mr. Alley announced the first of the many accomplishments to come directly from the coordinated work of many partners, guided by Oregon's Manufacturing Workforce Strategy.

First, is the creation of a new website called "Voice of Oregon Manufacturing" which will help manufacturing firms access information about national and state manufacturing training programs and resources. In conjunction with a marketing campaign, oregonmanufacturing.org will expand awareness about manufacturing careers and the importance of growing and maintaining manufacturing companies and jobs in Oregon.

Second, Mr. Alley announced five grants to new high-performance consortia to support and expand high performance practices for more Oregon companies:

Southern Oregon High Performance Enterprise Consortium;
The High Desert Enterprise Consortium in Central Oregon;
The Mid-Willamette Valley High-Performance Consortium;
The Lane RV Consortium; and
The Oregon Biosciences High Performance Consortium.

Southern Oregon High Performance Enterprise Consortium

Member companies of each consortium will gain the support they need to teach each other high performance practices that will lead to measurable cost savings and a greater competitive edge in the global marketplace.

In closing, Allen Alley stated that, "The Governor's investments to support manufacturing competitiveness, as well as his proposals for targeted education funding, for the Cluster Investment Fund and Skill Up Oregon Fund in his requested budget will advance Oregon along its path to being the talent capital of the world."

The High Desert Enterprise Consortium in Central Oregon

Manufacturing is particularly important in Oregon in that it represents over 6,000 companies and over 400,000 workers. Mostly representing in the traded sector, manufacturing companies bring millions of dollars back into the Oregon economy with a $9.8 billion dollar payroll, representing 15% of Oregon's state output value. Yet 43% of Oregon manufacturers today report a shortage of skilled workers. According to Allen Alley, Deputy to the Governor, "If we don't act now, we could stymie economic growth because businesses cannot find the skilled workers they need." Working together to raise the skills of Oregon's workforce through greater investments in education and skills training and building a network of high performance consortia so large and small manufacturing businesses and increase their competitiveness is crucial.

The Manufacturing Strategy is part of a larger effort by the Oregon Workforce Investment Board to help Oregon companies be globally competitive through a skilled workforce and help Oregonians develop higher skills for higher wage jobs. The Oregon Workforce Investment Board's Strategic Plan for Oregon is called: Winning in the Global Market and is available, along with the Manufacturing Workforce Strategy at: http://www.worksourceoregon.org/.


Southern Willamette Valley High-Performance Consortium	Strategic Economic Development Corporation

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