Senator Sherrod Brown

WASHINGTON D.C. – United States Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) announced new legislation today to pair industries offering new jobs with workers seeking specialized skills and training.
 
“This bill will grow Ohio’s economy by partnering emerging industries with a skilled workforce,” said Brown. “Economic development means more than tax incentives to businesses. It means investing in our workers.”
 
“As Maine has lost a quarter of its manufacturing employment over the past decade, we must do everything within our power to reverse this unacceptable decline and promote high-paying jobs,” said Senator Snowe, who is Co-Chair of the Senate Task Force on Manufacturing.  “This legislation provides a crucial link between establishing worker training programs and fostering new employment opportunities that are so critical to our economic recovery.  By promoting this innovative partnership, our bill will take a decisive step toward rejuvenating our economy.”
 
The “Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success (SECTORS) Act of 2008,” provides funding for workers seeking specialized training for emerging industries.
The SECTORS Act addresses the disparity between high unemployment rates and a shortage of skilled workers for many emerging industries. A recent report by labor economists Harry Holzer and Robert Lerman found that substantial demand remains in today’s labor market for skilled workers. This is particularly true for “middle-skill” jobs that require more than a high school degree but less than a four-year college degree. These jobs comprise nearly half of America’s labor market and provide good compensation for workers.
 
To address this disparity, the SECTORS Act provides grants for sector partnerships to focus on creating customized solutions for specific industries at the regional level. A sector approach can focus on the dual goals of promoting the long-term competitiveness of industries and advancing employment opportunities for workers.
 
Ohio’s economic development has been stunted by workforce development issues. According to a November 2007 report released by Governor Ted Strickland’s office, four out of ten employers statewide reported having a difficult time finding qualified applicants. Between 2000 and 2007, Ohio experienced a 24.3% drop in manufacturing employment, shedding nearly 230,000 jobs. Overall employment dropped by nearly 3.6% in the same time period. Compared with other states in the region, Ohio is one of only three that did not fully recover jobs lost after the 2001 recession. Ohio also had the second-highest manufacturing job losses, behind Michigan.
 
Likewise, in Maine, the number of manufacturing jobs has dropped dramatically over the past decade.  Between 1998 and 2008, Maine experienced a 27 percent decline in manufacturing employment, which fell from a high of 81,000 to a current level of 59,000 jobs.  One of the key reasons that the loss of manufacturing jobs has so dramatically affected Maine is that the average annual manufacturing wage is $10,000 more than the average annual state wage.  The statistics for New England are no better: From January 1998 through December 2006, the region witnessed a decline of roughly 25 percent of its manufacturing workforce.
 
These strategies outlined in the SECTORS Act have been endorsed by several noted organizations, including the Aspen Institute, the Workforce Alliance, and several state and regional coalitions.

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