For Immediate Release                                         
Contact: Renee' Ward or Eamon McCleery
Phone: 503-986-1443
 
 
 
Rep. Shields and Committee
Help Increase Funding
for High School Apprenticeship Programs

 
Salem, Ore. - June 5, 2007 - State Representative Chip Shields (D-N/NE Portland) says he is proud to have helped increase funding to link apprenticeships to high schools.

The funding is included in the Bureau of Labor and Industries budget which has passed the Oregon House and Senate; it now awaits Governor Kulongoksi's signature.

Shields was part of the committee of legislators who joined with Labor Commissioner Dan Gardner to increase funding for two pilot projects. Those projects will better integrate apprenticeship programs with high school workforce development initiatives.

The pilots will be based on proven youth-labor apprenticeship projects in place in Washington and other states. One pilot will take place in an urban setting, one in a rural setting.

Rep. Shields hopes to help Portland-area high schools apply for the pilot programs, including Jefferson, Benson and Grant high schools.

"Across the state, there are Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee training centers that often have unused training capacity," said Shields. "Connecting students to the centers during the school day will help train tomorrow's living-wage workforce."

In addition to his job as a legislator, Shields has worked to help young people, women, minorities and others gain living-wage jobs through Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. , Better People and the Youth Employment Institute.
 
For further information on bills supported by Rep. Shields, visit his website at www.leg.state.or.us/shieldsc .
 
 
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