|
 Printer-Friendly Version
Remarks Prepared for Delivery by
U.S. Secretary of
Labor Elaine L. Chao
HERE Hispanic Initiative Grant Award
Las Vegas,
Nevada
March 16, 2004
Thank you, Governor Guinn.
I am here in Las Vegas today to announce a $1.9 million grant to the
Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union for its HI-Demand program. This
is the first in a series of grants that the Labor Department is announcing to
help Hispanic workers advance within the mainstream workforce.
HERE will partner with the hospitality industry and Nevada
Partners.Nevada Partners is a community-based training provider that is also
hosting this event—thank you! These three groups will work together to
help Hispanic and others workers train for and find jobs in the fast growing
hospitality industries in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
In Las Vegas, HERE will partner with employers to provide English
instruction for 2,000 immigrant workers and new American citizens.HERE will
also coordinate with 10 major hotels to provide on-site, pre- and post-shift
English instruction to incumbent workers. These programs recognize that
language skills are critical to advancing within the workforce.
In Atlantic City, HERE is working with employers and the Atlantic Cape
Community College to help Hispanic workers pass the test to advance to
journey-level cooks.
This grant is part of a $10 million Labor Department program, the
Hispanic Worker Initiative.This initiative will help Hispanic Americans prepare
for and find good jobs that pay good wages.
It will help these talented workers develop language and occupational
skills, and remain on the educational pathways that lead to rewarding
careers.
And it will encourage employers, educators, and the public workforce
system to work together more closely to help Hispanic Americans acquire skills
in demand.It is part of this Administration’s larger effort to link job
training with employers and the real world of work. The goal is to train
workers for jobs that really exist, rather than just processing them through a
system.
The Department of Labor developed these strategies as part of President
George W. Bush’s Presidential Advisory Commission on Educational
Excellence for Hispanic Americans. As many of you know, President Bush has a
special bond with the Hispanic community. He is committed to ensuring that the
doors to opportunity remain wide open for this community.
That is crucial because Hispanic Americans are among the fastest growing
groups within our workforce. They are leading the way in our current economic
recovery. We must have training and employment services available to help them
advance within the mainstream workforce.
I understand the challenges that newcomers face when they come to this
great country without knowing its language—I was one of them! I came to
America at the age of eight, not knowing how to speak English. It was very
challenging to adapt to a new culture and a new language, and I will never
forget those who helped my family and me along the way.
That’s why I am so pleased to announce this award. And that’s
why I am delighted to present this grant of nearly $1.9 million to John
Wilhelm, President of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union.
# # #
_________________________________________________________________
| 
