> THE WHITE HOUSE > > Office of the Vice President > ________________________________________________________________________ > For Immediate Release January 12, 1998 > > VICE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES PLAN > TO EXPAND INFO-TECH WORKFORCE > > Administration Proposes to Expand Industry > Involvement, Upgrade Skills of Workforce > > WASHINGTON -- Vice President Al Gore today (1/12) announced a > series of Administration actions to help meet the growing demand for > workers with information technology skills. > > The initiatives I am announcing today will help ensure that America > has the best information technology workforce in the world, the Vice > President said. Information technology is the engine of the new > economy, and it is critical that American workers are prepared to take > advantage of these new high-skill, high-wage jobs. > > Today's announcement came as Commerce Secretary Bill Daley, > Education Secretary Richard Riley, and Deputy Labor Secretary Kitty > Higgins met with industry executives, educators, and labor leaders > in Berkeley, California, to discuss America's information technology > (IT) workforce. According to Labor Department projections, the > demand for computer scientists, engineers, and systems analysts will > double over the next 10 years -- an increase of more than one million > high-skill, high-wage jobs. Today, many employers report difficulty > in recruiting enough workers with these skills. > > Specific steps taken by the Administration include: > > Expanding industry involvement in school-to-work: The Department > of Education and the Department of Labor will provide up to $6 million > in grants for industry groups that expand private-sector involvement > in school-to-work. This will give more young Americans the academic > and vocational learning they need to pursue high-skill, high-wage jobs > in industries such as IT. > > Upgrading the skills of the existing workforce: The Labor > Department will invest $3 million in demonstration projects -- in > partnership with employers and training providers -- to train > dislocated workers for high-tech jobs. > > Continuing the national dialogue: The Department of Commerce will > convene four town-hall meetings this year where representatives of > business, academia, state and local governments, and employee > organizations can discuss IT workforce needs; identify best practices; > and showcase successful models that others can replicate. > > The Vice President also challenged educators and industry leaders > to redouble their efforts to strengthen America's IT workforce. > > Encouraging women and minorities to pursue careers in information > technology, upgrading the skills of the existing workforce, and > ensuring that our children excel in math and science will require new > commitments from all of us, the Vice President said. America's success > in the new economy depends on it. > > ## > > _______________________Marlene Maheu, Ph.D.______ > Self-Help & Psychology Magazine > http://cybertowers.com/selfhelp > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 619-277-2772
