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Remarks Prepared for Delivery by
U.S.
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
Third Annual Opportunity Conference
Chicago, Illinois
Wednesday, November 9, 2005
Good afternoon and welcome, everyone, to the U.S. Department of Labor's
3rd Annual Opportunity Conference!
This is the first time the Opportunity Conference has been held outside
of Washington, D.C. We're pleased to be in Chicago, home of the 2005 World
Series Champions, the Chicago White Sox! I know you're very proud of them.
I want to thank Bishop Dr. Claude Porter of the Proviso-Leyden Council
for Community Action and Illinois State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka for being
with us today.
I also want to thank today's conference co-sponsors: The Asian American
Alliance; the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; and the Chicago Urban
League. And I want to acknowledge the 22 organizations that are here to help
with today's conference. And a special thanks to Larry Wert, President and
General Manager of NBC Channel 5, for lending his talents—and Natalie
Martinez—to this conference.
I also want to recognize the several Bush Administration officials who
have joined us: Sam Mok, the Chief Financial Officer of the U.S. Department of
Labor; and Shinae Chun, the first Asian American director of the Labor
Department's Women's Bureau. And I see several members of the President’s
Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are also
present.
And finally, many thanks go to Karen Czarnecki, Director of the Labor
Department's Office of the 21st Century Workforce, and Anna Hui, Special
Assistant to the Secretary for Asian Pacific American Outreach, and their teams
for making all of the arrangements for this great event. There are more than
1,000 people from 28 states here today!
I started this Conference to provide traditionally underserved
communities with the networking, skills enhancement, and training opportunities
that will help individuals and organizations grow and succeed. So, whether you
own a small business or lead a community or faith-based organization, this
conference is designed to help you grow.
Small businesses create two-thirds of all the new jobs in America.
That's why President Bush has called small businesses the engine of economic
growth. This Administration also recognizes that organizations offering support
services to workers, such as housing, child care and job training, are a key
part of economic development. So, an especially warm welcome to the leaders of
community and faith-based organizations who are with us today, as well.
At this conference you will find panels on accessing capital, financial
literacy, marketing and partnering with community and faith-based
organizations. There are also panels on workforce issues, including
understanding and complying with our nation's labor laws. And there are
workshops on accessing grants and the procurement process.
In designing this conference, we have focused on three skills that past
opportunity conferences have identified as key. They are networking,
communications, and accessing government grant and contracting
opportunities.
So, first, this conference is designed as a networking opportunity. By
sharing your interests and goals, you'll find others who might need your
services. And you'll learn how others are approaching and solving the same
challenges.
We've also focused on communication, which is so important in our
information-driven culture. If you're still learning English, there are people
here today who share information about programs to increase proficiency and
fluency. And if English is your native language, you can learn about new and
innovative ways to communicate the goods and services that you offer to the
public.
And finally, this conference can help you access government grant and
contracting opportunities. Each year, the federal government purchases billions
of dollars of goods and services from the private sector. It's important for
small and minority owned businesses to understand that, when it comes to
government contracting opportunities, diversity is an asset.
President George W. Bush is committed to enhancing opportunities for
small and minority owned businesses. In fact, last year, the Federal government
awarded more than $18.5 billion—yes, that's billions—in contracts to
small and minority owned businesses. The U.S. Department of Labor alone awarded
more than $203.7 million in contracts to small and minority owned businesses.
So, don't miss learning about these opportunities at the local, state and
federal level.
This Administration is also committed to eliminating the unfair
bureaucratic barriers that have prevented faith-based organizations from
participating in federal government grant and contracting opportunities. In
2004, the Federal government awarded more than $2 billion from seven
Departments to faith-based and community organizations. And I'm proud that the
Labor Department has awarded $309.2 million in direct grants to more than 600
faith-based and community organizations since this Initiative began. And we
will continue to build upon that record.
To help underserved communities access the new opportunities opening up
in our economy, the Department launched many special initiatives. We are
sponsoring partnerships to help Hispanic workers develop greater English
proficiency and workplace skills. The Department sponsored a leadership summit
with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, to help the African American
community learn about new opportunities in the high-growth sectors of our
economy. And we have reached out to the Asian Pacific American community in
many forums to make them aware of these growth opportunities, as well.
The Labor Department is committed to ensuring that the doors of
opportunity remain wide open for everyone. But there is another aspect of the
Department that you need to know about. The Labor Department enforces the
nation's labor laws. Many of these laws are very complex. So the Department has
made a special effort to reach out to previously underserved communities who
may not be familiar with them. Last year, the U.S. Labor Department sponsored
the first-ever Hispanic Health and Safety Summit. Labor law materials have been
translated into multiple languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and
Korean. And the Labor Department is reaching out to the rapidly growing number
of African American small business owners by distributing labor law materials
through Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
You can learn more about these programs and other useful information at
the Labor Department's exhibits here at the conference. And you can find more
information on the DOL Web site at: www.dol.gov.
When I arrived in this country at the age of eight, speaking no English,
I never dreamed that my path would lead me to where I am today. As a young
person growing up, my goals were fairly straightforward—to get a good
education, to find a steady job and to be a credit to my family who had
sacrificed so much to come to this country.
The experiences I had growing up taught me that anything is possible in
America if you work hard, dare to dream and never give up. All of you are here
today because you have taken a courageous step in your personal development. I
can feel the energy of the entrepreneurs in this room. And I can see the
legions of faith-based and community leaders who are eager to reach out and
help more people. You are what makes America great. By attending this
conference, you are taking another step toward realizing your dreams. I hope
you will help us spread the good news to the members of your organizations and
communities about the tremendous resources available to help them access new
opportunities and grow.
So, thank you for everything you do to make our country—and your
communities—prosperous and strong.
Have a great conference! God bless you and God bless America !
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