[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 23446]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            WORKFORCE POLICY

  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I rise to thank Senator Murray. As chairman 
of the HELP Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, she works 
hard and effectively to protect workers and to champion skills 
development and employment services to help adults and dislocated 
workers and at-risk youth succeed in this highly competitive economy. I 
am proud to serve on this subcommittee. I thank Senator Murray for her 
leadership in introducting the Promoting Innovations to 21st Century 
Careers Act that will help young adults transition from high school to 
postsecondary education, including registered apprenticeship, and to 
the high skill jobs of the future. I am proud to cosponsor this 
legislation.
  Mrs. MURRAY. I thank the Senator. I appreciate the Senator's work on 
skills-training issues, and I am proud to cosponsor his legislation 
entitled, ``Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional 
Success--SECTORS--Act.'' Partnerships organized by industry sectors are 
an effective strategy to connect workers with thriving industries such 
as health care, emerging and transitioning industries like the energy 
industry, and manufacturing, which are vital to both the Ohio and 
Washington State economies. The strategies of both Promoting 
Innovations to 21st Century Careers Act and SECTORS Act are effective 
because they bring together the key stakeholders, including business, 
labor organizations, education at various levels, workforce boards, 
economic development entities, and other community organizations.
  Mr. BROWN. I thank the Senator for highlighting local workforce 
boards as a key stakeholder in sector partnerships. It has been brought 
to my attention that we can further clarify that the SECTORS Act 
specifies the connection to local workforce boards. It is the intent 
for this legislation to acknowledge our local Ohio workforce boards and 
other regional and local workforce boards as key stakeholders in any 
industry sector strategy, something that is important to champions of 
good workforce policy.
  Mrs. MURRAY. I thank the Senator for clarifying that point. The 
SECTORS Act models itself after many successful industry sector 
partnerships in our home States of Washington and Ohio, and elsewhere, 
such as Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. I look forward to continuing to 
work with the Senator to develop innovative workforce policies and 
programs that help our workers and communities stay competitive in this 
knowledge-based, technology-advanced, global economy.

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