[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 174 (Tuesday, November 15, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2055]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE NEED FOR WORKER RETRAINING SERVICES, AND ACKNOWLEDGING 
       THE OPENING OF A WORKSOURCE FACILITY IN MONROE, WASHINGTON

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JAY INSLEE

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 15, 2011

  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to acknowledge the 
importance of worker retraining efforts in my state led by the 
workforce development councils that are helping Washingtonians get back 
to work. I would also like to recognize the opening of a new facility 
in Monroe, Washington that will help more of our neighbors who have 
been hit hard by this economic downturn get the training they need to 
successfully re-enter the job market.
  Often, employers lack a workforce with appropriate skills and 
displaced workers lack the means to acquire these skills. That is why 
worker retraining programs are so important. Reversing the effects of 
the economic downturn is not an individual mission, but a community 
challenge, and an important partner helping in this effort are the 
Washington workforce development councils. Our workforce development 
councils operate 64 WorkSource centers statewide, where low-income 
youth and adults, displaced workers, and returning servicemembers 
access job training, employment counseling, and other services that 
help put people back to work and provide our employers with the skilled 
workforce they need to thrive.
  Last year alone, more than 364,000 Washington residents sought help 
through the State's WorkSource centers. The Workforce Development 
Council of Snohomish County provided 39,156 people with a total of 
528,005 services in 2010. Currently, the main access points for these 
services are the WorkSource Centers in Everett and Lynnwood, 
Washington. However, thanks to the generosity of the Society of St. 
Vincent de Paul--who offered to rent out space in their facility for 
only one dollar per year--on Tuesday, November 15th a new WorkSource 
center will open in Monroe, Washington.
  This expansion of services to Monroe is important because, currently, 
displaced workers in the cities and towns to the east of Everett and 
Lynnwood face yet another barrier to employment: travelling to a 
WorkSource Center. Now, yet another hard-hit community can begin to 
rebuild and move forward because the community will now have a 
headquarters for worker retraining and job market resources.
  That's why I am proud to stand up here today and recognize the 
significance of the WorkSource opening in Monroe, Washington today. I 
wish all the best to the dedicated staff at the Snohomish County 
Workforce Development Council, the kind people at St. Vincent de Paul, 
and the Washingtonians who are persevering through this downturn and 
now have a strong partner to help them get back on their feet.

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