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Governor's Vision for Oregon's Workforce
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Governor Ted Kulongoski
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As Governor, I am passionate about creating jobs and ensuring that Oregonians have the skills to compete for every job in this state and in the global economy.
My vision is that Oregon's businesses have a competitive advantage in the global marketplace due to their highly skilled, innovative workers. That means we must invest in education and workforce training so Oregon becomes a magnet for companies that want to hire skilled workers, and workers have good jobs that fully utilize their skills and talents. Oregon needs competitive companies, productive people and innovative ideas to grow and keep stable, high-paying jobs in our state.
My workforce plan, Winning in the Global Market, will increase the number of Oregonians prepared for high-demand, high-wage jobs and make our state's economy stronger. Please join me and my workforce, labor, education and business partners in our efforts to bring greater opportunity to all Oregonians.
Why my plan is needed:
- Businesses urgently need skilled workers and are making decisions now about keeping and growing jobs in Oregon or in other parts of the world.
- Oregon has the opportunity to become a magnet for jobs as employers locate and expand where they find needed skills.
- Oregon will have a competitive disadvantage if we don't invest now to upgrade the skills of Oregon students and workers.
Here are my priorities for investing in the skills of Oregonians:
{slide=1. Competitive Companies (click to read)}
My recommended budget includes $15 million for the Cluster Investment Fund, a tool to help Oregon's current workers and businesses respond to changing technology, high performance processes, higher skill demands and needs of existing and emerging clusters. The Cluster Investment Fund would use lottery dollars to complement the successful federally-funded Employer Workforce Training Fund (EWTF) program, that I established in 2003. The Cluster Fund will increase the number of companies served and workers trained.
The Cluster Investment Fund will be used in two ways:
- $10 million per biennium to catalyze the direct training and skill upgrades to an estimated 20,000 current workers.
- $5 million per biennium to aggregate demand and help Oregon's workforce education and training system develop targeted training for specific sectors and clusters, such as manufacturing, bio fuels, wave energy, information technology, food processing, biomedical/health.
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{slide=2. Highly Skilled Workers (click to read)}
My legislative agenda includes HB 2206, the Skill Up Oregon Fund, that would commit $10 million to upgrade the skills of unemployed and lower wage workers so they can reach higher wage jobs. The Skill Up Fund will be administered in partnership with Local Workforce Investment Boards and will take aim to increase employment of Oregonians who lack a high school diploma, GED or other certificates to reach living wage employment. My initial investment will assist 3,000 Oregonians and expand our federal workforce programs.
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{slide=3. Flexible, responsive workforce education and training system (click)}
Oregon's workforce system serves Oregon workers, helping people update their career skills, launching them toward higher wages, and referring them to jobs or educational career paths based on new technologies or innovations. Having a highly skilled workforce means Oregon businesses have a competitive edge and Oregon workers have stable jobs. The WorkSource Oregon network of public and private partners matches workers to jobs and connects them to education and training that fits their current needs. WorkSource partners also listen to businesses so workers are prepared for the right jobs.
Oregon's Workforce System serves Oregon students, workers, and businesses. Our education and training programs help people update their career skills, earn industry recognized certificates and degrees, and connect them to jobs or educational career paths that lead them to high demand occupations.
The Oregon Workforce Investment Board works with local workforce boards and partners to implement my workforce vision for the state. You can find out more about the board and our WorkSource Oregon partners at WorkSource Oregon.
Our WorkSource Oregon Web site is accessible 24 hours a day, as well as our iMatchSkills On-line Job Matching tool and Labor Market Information. With WorkSource Oregon, workers and businesses have effective local and regional workforce boards and services available at their fingertips.
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{slide=Our workforce system serves (click to read)}
Our workforce system serves workers at all stages of their lives.
Emerging Workers - these are students in our education systems, as well as youth who are seeking other paths. Every workforce region has youth programs to engage young people in school and career paths.
Workers In Transition -- these are workers who are changing jobs by choice or due to company closures or layoffs.
Existing Workers Needing Skills - this is the majority of our labor force that will retain their jobs and climb up career ladders if they continuously learn new skills that can add value in the work place. My strategies include supporting community colleges and their partners to implement the Pathways to Advancement plan, helping more Oregonians gain opportunities to work, learn and advance.
All Abilities -- Oregon needs every worker to boost our economy. Our WorkSource Oregon system partners can assist both workers and businesses to make jobs accessible for people with disabilities so we gain the skills and productivity of every potential worker.
As your governor, I am working to increase our investment in education and workforce training. I want all Oregonians to share in the dream of a fulfilling job with good wages, so their families are healthy and safe, and they can envision a secure future. Investing in education and training for the people of Oregon will provide us all with the highest return on our investment through stronger workers, a stronger economy and a stronger Oregon.
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Thank you for your support to make this vision Oregon's future.
We All Can Help.
{slide=Here are some examples (click to read)}
Here are some examples of industry partnerships that I have supported to address skills challenges from 2003-2006:
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{slide=Other targeted investments (click to read)}
to build a highly skilled workforce that are included in my recommended budget (Agency budgets in parentheses)
- Education Enterprise: Stable Funding for Better Schools: $6.06 billion for K-12(DOE), $493 million for Community Colleges (CCWD) and $859 million for Oregon University System (OUS). Contact: James Sager, Governor's Office,
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(503) 986-6546
- High School Diploma Requirements: Support State Board of Education efforts to raise diploma requirements. Support budget packages to implement changes: New Diploma Requirements $10 million; Increased access to advanced education and skills training $50 million (DOE budget-included above). Contact: Salam Noor, DOE,
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(503) 947-5663
- Career Pathways: Establish "Pathways to Advancement" coordinators at all 17 community colleges to modularize curriculum, build paths between systems, increase speed of training tied to demand jobs. $1.9 million CCWD budget and Community College Support Fund (CCWD budget). Contact: Cam Preus-Braly, Commissioner,
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(503) 378-8648 x357
- Work Readiness Certificate: Establish standardized skill assessments and certificates for adults and youth to direct them to appropriate workforce services, training. $1.1 million (CCWD budget). Contact: Cam Preus-Braly, Commissioner,
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(503) 378-8648 x357
- Apprenticeships: Expand and connect schools and apprenticeships to address critical occupational gaps. Support for added position in Bureau of Labor and Industries to facilitate several pilot projects funded by the Oregon Workforce Investment Board (BOLI). Contact:
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(971) 673-0777
- Career and Technical Education: Expand career and technical education in high schools and community colleges. Support $759,525 to continue student leadership centers (DOE budget) and $2 million of the Community College Support Fund that will be specifically distributed to enhance career/technical programs. Contact: Salam Noor, DOE,
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(503) 947-5663 or
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- Affordability: Support $110 million in Governor's Recommended Budget for Shared Responsibility Model- need-based aid that expands eligibility, addresses the full cost of higher education, and emphasizes the responsibility of parents and students to share costs. $75 million in General, Federal and Lottery Funds and $35 million from increased corporate minimum tax. (Oregon Student Assistance Commission budget) Contact: Tim Nesbitt, Governor's Office,
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(503) 378-3111
- Targeted Healthcare Investments: $28.4 million in the Governor's Recommended Budget to add capacity to train 177 nurses, 20 nurse educators, 42 clinical lab scientists, 24 dental hygienists, 15 ultrasound techs, and over 40 doctors each year. These investments will help address critical workforce shortages. (CCWD, OUS, and OHSU budgets) Contacts: Cam Preus-Braly,
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, or
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- Targeted Manufacturing and Engineering Investments: Support for high-demand occupation education and training: Engineering - ETIC $17 million, Manufacturing -$3.37 million in Oregon Inc (OUS) and $2 million as part of Cluster Investment Fund (OECDD). Contacts:
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(503)725-2915 or
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(503) 229-5226
- Childcare Program Improvements: $34.5 million in Governor's Recommended Budget (GRB) for stable, higher quality childcare to stabilize the workforce. Increases the maximum reimbursement DHS pays childcare providers on behalf of working parents; and changes income limit to enable more working parents to accept a wage increase without the fear of losing childcare assistance. (Dept of Human Services) Contact:
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(503) 945-6108
- TANF and JOBS: The 2007-09 GRB includes $3.9 million of additional General Fund, $5.8 million Child Care Development federal (other) funds and uses $7.3 million in anticipated TANF carry-forward federal funds to improve programmatic services available to very low-income families with children while meeting revised federal TANF requirements. The GRB also includes $16.1 General Fund for caseload and inflationary increases. (DHS) Contact:
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(503) 945-6122
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Successes of WorkSource Oregon
Oregon Innovation Council
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