Donnelly Hosts Secretary of Labor for Donnelly Day, School Visit, Lunch with Construction Workers
Secretary Perez, Senator Donnelly, and Congressman Carson work at Allison Transmission, eat with 465-65 construction crew, visit Pike High School technical training classes
Indianapolis, Ind. – U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly hosted U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez Wednesday for a series of visits with Indiana workers, students, and employers to discuss and highlight some of the innovative job training approaches in the Indianapolis area. U.S. Representative Andre Carson joined them for the visit.
“There is no better way to learn about workforce development and what is important to Hoosier workers than to roll up your sleeves and work next to them,” said Donnelly. “I am pleased that Secretary Perez joined me in Indianapolis to visit with workers, students, teachers, and employers—especially his willingness to work on the line with UAW workers at Allison Transmission. Pike High School is doing outstanding work to prepare its students for higher-education and entry into the workforce, and I commend the tireless efforts of those working on the 465-65 interchange and related construction projects intended to ease congestion. We were able to visit with and work alongside many impressive Hoosiers.”
“After visiting Pike High School, it's clear that they're a national leader in building the secret sauce to a strong education: partnerships,” said Perez. “By working with local employers, community colleges, and the workforce system, they're expanding opportunity for students while putting them on pathways to the middle class. Senator Donnelly and Congressman Carson both share my commitment to creating and expanding opportunity, because whether you're a student, a worker, or an employer, your zip code should not determine your destiny.”
From left: Donnelly, Perez, and Carson with students at Pike High School; Donnelly working on the line at Allison Transmission; Donnelly with workers at the 465-65 interchange construction site.
For more, higher resolution photos, click here.
The Senator and Secretary started their day at Pike High School, where they talked about the $7 million Youth CareerConnect grant awarded to the high school to help students get the training they need to enter the workforce. They then had lunch at the 465-65 interchange with carpenters, labor leaders, and officials from Walsh Construction to learn about the project and how workers receive job training. The project is part of INDOT’s Operation Indy Commute to lessen traffic in the Indianapolis region and is modeled after successful efforts in other states using the Federal Highway Administration’s Localized Bottleneck Reduction Program.
Finally, they did a “Donnelly Day” event at Allison Transmission. “Donnelly Day” events consist of Senator Donnelly working alongside Hoosiers in various industries around the state to better understand their work, the company’s products, and the issues important to them. Secretary Perez and Senator Donnelly worked at three stations at the transmission plant, including running the pinion gear cell, gaging parts, and working on the main assembly line to put together transmissions.
In July, Congress passed and the President signed into law the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which included elements of two Donnelly bills intended to improve our country’s workforce development system and help close the skills gap. The recently passed WIOA includes a provision from the AMERICA Works Act, introduced in March 2013 by Senators Donnelly, Kay Hagan (D-NC) and Dean Heller (R-NV), to modify existing federal training programs to ensure one-stop job training centers like the WorkOne facilities in Indiana place a priority on the programs and certifications recognized and in-demand by industry.
WIOA also echoes many of the priorities outlined by Donnelly in the Skills Gap Strategy Act, introduced with Sen. Heller in October 2013, by boosting employer participation in job training and education; better aligning training programs with the jobs that are available now; and increasing the ability of workers to take advantage of on-the-job training, apprenticeships, and other opportunities.
As a result of WIOA, more workers will know that the time they spend training is more likely to lead to employment in good-paying jobs and more employers will know the people they hire will have the training needed to hit the ground running on day one.
###
