Carcieri announces workforce initiative

From the gov's office:

Today at the netWORKri One-Stop Career Center in West Warwick, Governor Donald L. Carcieri announced the Industry Skills Development Initiative, a $3.3 million collaboration among public agencies and private industry designed to raise the skill levels of Rhode Island workers in strategically
selected, high-growth industries.

The initiative, funded by the Governor's Workforce Board Rhode Island, targets the Information Technology, Hospitality, Construction and Marine Trades industries through a multi-prong strategy:

*     to improve the skills of the current workforce and to grow the availability of skill-specific training

*     to improve industry outreach to current jobseekers

*     to engage the next generation of workers in industry-related learning
opportunities

*     to build awareness of industry-specific career opportunities and career
ladders among the general public.

The local workforce investment boards-the Workforce Partnership of Greater Rhode Island and Workforce Solutions of Providence/Cranston-have contracted with four industry partners to enact this multi-prong strategy on a statewide level. The four partners-the Rhode Island Hospitality Association Education Foundation, Building Futures/Providence Plan, the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association and Tech Collective-are among eight preexisting industry partners that have been collaborating with the Governor's Workforce Board for the past two years to identify workforce skill gaps.

"There is a critical need to address the skills gaps with Rhode Island workers," said Governor Donald L. Carcieri.  "This initiative is a step in the right direction, and I commend the Governor's Workforce Board for aggressively addressing the skills mismatch and getting people into good paying jobs.  I also commend the industry partnerships for actively participating in the solution. We cannot solve the problem of skills in Rhode Island without the help and support of business."