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National Skills Summit
Skills Summit Highlights
Statement from Mayor Beverly O’Neill
As a member of The United States Conference of Mayors Advisory Board and Chair of the Jobs, Education and Workforce Committee, I believe that the need to bring together government, schools and industry must be our uppermost priority as we move ahead in this new economy. Strong partnerships at the local level are crucial to dealing with workforce shortages.
A recent Conference of Mayors report, Seizing Economic Opportunity in the New Millenium, stated that “ Ninety percent of mayors said that training the workforce to stay competitive in a changing economy was the greatest challenge they faced.” Furthermore, employers only want to locate where they can find skilled employees and where there is training to develop skilled workers. The Workforce Investment Act requires that leadership within local communities work together and form strong partnerships with community colleges and the local workforce development system.
For example, in the city of Long Beach, we have an extensive School-to-Career program that is connecting thousands of young people to jobs and career opportunities. Long Beach is also working with new entrants to the workforce. In the Alameda Corridor, we are partnering with labor, industry, community colleges and community based organizations to meet the demands of a major public works project.
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