Through its WIRED program (Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development), the US Department of Labor/Employment & Training Administration is providing grant support to regions around the country that are committed to regional approaches to talent development as a driver of economic transformation. In July 2007, Oregon was awarded a $5 million WIRED grant. Worksystems, Inc. administers the initiative on behalf of a 10-county region of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington.
Our vision for transforming the economy relies on a truly regional approach to talent development in which education, economic development, workforce development and business collaborate to create consistently high performing systems for school – business connections, labor exchange, and training. Industry recruits talent from a labor shed that stretches from Longview in Washington to Salem in Oregon. Workforce systems must be coherent and easily navigable for businesses and job seekers across the region, without regard for political boundaries. This initiative focuses on developing and managing the region’s talent to meet the needs of current employers, support business expansion, and attract new investment by companies attracted to a highly skilled labor force.
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