2016 -- S 2326

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LC004372

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING TO

INCLUDE GREEN INDUSTRIES IN THE REAL JOBS RI PROGRAM

     

     Introduced By: Senators P Fogarty, Metts, Nesselbush, Jabour, and Picard

     Date Introduced: February 09, 2016

     Referred To: Senate Labor

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     WHEREAS, It is essential to prepare our workforce to meet the demands of the green

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economy; and

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     WHEREAS, The Department of Labor and Training has introduced Real Jobs RI, a

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demand-driven workforce and economic development initiative that is collaborative, flexible and

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business-led; and

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     WHEREAS, The program aims to address the skills gap across various industries in

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Rhode Island, to identify a workforce shortage and to develop a plan with a coordinated solution;

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and

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     WHEREAS, In July of 2015, the Department of Labor and Training awarded planning

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grants of up to $25,000 to twenty-one recipient organizations; and

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     WHEREAS, Planning grant applicants were tasked with assembling a strategic industry

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partnership, identifying the training, education, human resource and other solutions to address the

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identified critical business needs, and developing a detailed workforce training and

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implementation plan; and

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     WHEREAS, In November of 2015, twenty-six Strategic Industry Partnerships received

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Implementation Grants totaling $5 million in federal and state funds; and

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     WHEREAS, These implementation grants provide funding that allows applicants to

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execute developed workforce training plans that will address immediate, short-term, or long-term

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shortages identified by the employed partners; and

 

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     WHEREAS, Successful plans lead to the hiring of participants by employer partners at

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the conclusion of their training; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

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hereby respectfully requests the Department of Labor and Training to include green industries

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partnerships in the next solicitation for Real Jobs RI and implementation grants; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That this Senate supports this as a first step towards minimizing the skills

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gap across several green industries to help move Rhode Island's economy forward; and be it

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further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Director of the Rhode Island Department of

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Labor and Training.

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LC004372

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