in other words
november16
2017
3
Expanding Opportunities
for Work-Based Skills Training
By
Congresswoman
Suzanne Bonamici
As I visit communities
across Northwest Or-
egon, I hear from many
Oregonians who feel left
behind and left out of the economic re-
covery. Too many people are still strug-
gling to make ends meet. If they are
working, their wages are stagnant. They
feel overwhelmed by rising rent prices,
barriers to transportation, and sky-high
childcare costs. There may be job open-
ings in their community, but the jobs
require skills and resources they don’t
have.
They are not alone. More than
half of the jobs in today’s labor market
require less than a four-year degree, but
more than a high school diploma. Un-
fortunately, only 43 percent of Ameri-
can workers have the skills for those po-
sitions. This creates a “skills gap,” leav-
ing businesses struggling to find work-
ers with necessary skills, and workers
without pathways to better-paying jobs.
Apprenticeships and work-
based learning programs help close the
skills gap. Employers can align training
with the skills they need, and workers
learn while they earn through classroom
instruction and paid, on-the-job train-
ing. It’s a win-win.
We need to strengthen invest-
ments in work-based learning programs
that respond to local industry needs, like
the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation
Center (OMIC). OMIC brings together
industry leaders like Boeing with educa-
tional institutions such as Oregon Tech,
Oregon State University, Portland State
University, and Portland Community
College to develop work-based learning
programs. This collaboration will result
in growth and efficiency in advanced
manufacturing, and more good jobs for
Oregonians.
OMIC is the right approach, at
the right time, in the right place. It will
foster the expertise and innovation that
American industries need to continue to
thrive and compete globally. This pub-
lic-private partnership is a tremendous
opportunity for Oregonians because it
brings value to our communities and the
economy.
To help Oregonians and many
other Americans who still face job in-
security, we must expand work-based
learning to sectors of the economy that
lack established apprenticeship pro-
grams, like health care and technol-
ogy start-ups. Small- and medium-sized
businesses often do not have the re-
sources to establish work-based learn-
ing programs. Like OMIC, industry
partnerships bring together employers,
education institutions, training provid-
ers, and community-based organiza-
tions to support the creation and expan-
sion of work-based learning programs
that benefit workers and the economy as
a whole.
Recently my colleague on the
Education and Workforce Commit-
tee, Congressman Drew Ferguson, and
I introduced bipartisan legislation to
expand opportunities for skills train-
ing. Our bill, the PARTNERS Act,
would support industry partnerships to
help small- and medium-sized business-
es develop work-based learning pro-
grams - at no additional cost to taxpay-
ers. The industry partnerships will also
make it easier for people to re-enter the
workforce by providing workers with
access to tools, work attire, transporta-
tion, child care services, and mentorship
support.
Through greater investment in
apprenticeships and other training pro-
grams, we can get more people back
to work and provide our nation’s busi-
nesses with a more productive and ef-
ficient workforce. The PARTNERS Act
and OMIC stem from the same good
concept: when we approach economic
problems with workers and businesses
in mind, we come up with better solu-
tions for everyone - and we all win.
Health Care Open Enrollment Ends December 15
By Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici
Keeping ourselves and our
families healthy is important, and that’s
why I’ve worked to protect and expand
access to affordable health care under
the Affordable Care Act. Shopping for
health insurance at HealthCare.Oregon.
gov could save you money through
assistance and subsidies, or it could
help you find a plan that better suits
your health care needs and your fam-
ily’s needs. The continuing rising cost
of health care is a challenge that I am
working to address with my colleagues
in Congress. But many Oregonians can
find quality, affordable coverage when
comparing options for 2018. In fact, 77
percent of Oregonians qualified for fi-
nancial assistance that lowered the av-
erage price of coverage to under $148 a
month in 2017.
Enrollment for coverage in
2018 is open now at HealthCare.Or-
egon.gov and lasts until December 15 -
that’s just four weeks to make sure you
are covered. Even if you already have
insurance, it’s a good idea to compare
plans and make sure you have the most
affordable insurance plan that offers the
best coverage for your needs.
Free help is available if you
would like assistance enrolling in a
plan or updating your information.
Call 1-855-268-3767, attend an enroll-
ment event near you, or contact a part-
ner agent in your county. Support is
available in sixteen languages.
You must enroll by December
15, 2017 for new or updated coverage
that will start on January 1. If you are
one of the 136,000 Oregonians who
already gets coverage through the ex-
change and you don’t make any changes
by December 15, you will automatically
be re-enrolled in your current plan.
Thanks to the Affordable Care
Act, about 20 million more people
across the country now have health in-
surance coverage. About 95 percent of
Oregonians and 98 percent of children
in Oregon are covered. I remain com-
mitted to protecting the Affordable Care
Act and making sure that any action we
take improves, not weakens, health care
for Oregonians.
If you would like to know more
about my work around Northwest Or-
egon and in Congress, please sign up
for my monthly Bonamici Bulletin
email newsletter at Bonamici.House.
gov or follow me on Facebook, Insta-
gram, Twitter, and YouTube. You can
also contact my Oregon and Washing-
ton, D.C. offices with questions, com-
ments, or for assistance with a federal
agency.
Publisher and Managing Editor
Scott Laird
503-367-0098
scott@vernoniasvoice.com
Contributors
Congresswoman Suzanne
Bonamici
Jim Bryson
Chip Bubl
Kala Cota
Tobie Finzel
Kailia Jackson
Karen Kain
Stacey Lynn
Aaron Miller
Karen Miller
Shannon Romtvedt
Robert Schattschneider
Photography
Scott Laird
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Contact: scott@vernoniasvoice.com
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PO Box 55
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International Survivors
of Suicide Loss Day
Saturday,
November 18, 10 am
Grace Family Fellowship
If you have lost a family
member or loved one to suicide
please come to help heal and to
find support.
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