FEBRUARY 2014 LATEST NEWS BLU Members Discuss How to Help Long-Term Unemployed at the White House BLU Members Discuss How to Help Long-Term Unemployed at the White House BLU Leaders Attend State of the Union Vice President Biden Visits BLU Member to Focus on Sector Partnerships BLU IN THE NEWS QualiTest Invited to the White House for an Event on LongTerm Unemployment | Virtual Strategy Magazine, 02.03.2014 Obama Ramps Up Federal Focus on Job Training | The Chronicle of Higher Education, 01.31.2014 AccuRounds CEO: We have a huge skills gap in this country | Fox Business, 01.31.2014 Mandina Introduces Vice President Joe Biden | Seneca Daily News, 01.31.2014 Obama plans facelift of workforce education | Politico Pro, 01.30.2014 Walton businessman takes unemployment ideas to White On Friday, President Obama invited 18 members of Business Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships (BLU) to the White House for an event with corporate leaders and workforce partnership innovators to discuss what can be done to help our nation's 4 million long-term unemployed. At the event, the President announced $150 million in new support from the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) for “Ready to Work" partnerships to "prepare and place the long-term unemployed into good jobs." The White House also released a statement signed by several BLU members endorsing “best practices” they use when hiring in order to ensure all applicants, including the unemployed, are treated fairly in the job application process. Prior to Friday’s White House event, the President hosted a CEO roundtable to discuss how employers can help the long-term unemployed get back to work. Participants included two BLU leaders: Michael Mandina of Optimax, Inc. and Michael Tamasi of Accurounds, both smaller manufacturers. Also participating was Larry Zimpleman, CEO of Prudential House | Cincinnati Enquirer, 01.30.2014 A Word With the Boss: Marine trades chief ensures Maine’s waterfront is covered | Portland Press Herald, 01.30.2014 Minn. Politicians Respond To State Of The Union Address | CBS Minnesota, 01.29.2014 Association executive invited to the White House | Bangor Daily News, 01.28.2014 Congress selects State of the Union guests with message in mind | Star Tribune, 01.28.2014 Employers must help advance the K-12 process | 01.24.20143 LEARN MORE ABOUT BUSINESS LEADERS UNITED Visit the BLU Website Financial Group, a Fortune 500 company that participates in a local sector partnership organized by Central Iowa Works. Following the event, Tamasi was invited on Fox Business News “After the Bell” where he discussed how sector partnerships can help close the skills gap and re-train the long-term unemployed and others with the skills needed for good-paying jobs employers need to fill. Click here to watch the clip. Thank you to all BLU members who attended Friday’s White House event: Rebecca Aguilera-Gardiner, Vice President, Sales/Marketing, Diego and Sons Liza Alvarez, Human Resources Manager, Vi-Chem Corporation Armando Chapelliquen, Director of Operations, Jos. H. Lowenstein & Sons, Inc. Scott Ellsworth, Vice President-US operations, Tipco Punch, Inc Kerry Gumm, Human Resources Manager, Principal Financial Group Paul Hoffman, President, New Haven Manufacturers Association Rick Jordan, Vice President, LSI Industries, Inc. Michael Kenig, Vice Chairman, Holder Construction Company Mike Mandina, President, Optimax Systems, Inc. Sandra Myler, Educator, Dignity Health Jeanette Nigro, Vice President, Public Programs and Development, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Lynn Pecora, Director-Training & Development, Inglis Angel Pineiro, Senior Vice President, ASI System Integration, Inc. Alma Salazar, Vice President of Education and Workforce Development, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Anette Smith-Dohring, Workforce Development Manager, Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region Liza Smitherman, Vice President Professional Development, Jostin Construction Susan Swanton, Executive Director, Maine Marine Trades Association Michael Tamasi, President and CEO, AccuRounds BLU Leaders Attend State of the Union President Obama announced his “Opportunity for All” agenda during the State of the Union address which includes sector partnerships as a strategy to help the unemployed get back to work: “Train Americans with the skills employers need, and match them to good jobs that need to be filled right now.” Two of BLU’s leaders got to hear the President in person. Scott Ellsworth, Vice-President of Tipco Punch in Hamilton, OH, and a member of Cincinnati’s Partnership for a Competitive Workforce (an affiliate of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions) was the guest of Speaker John Boehner (R-OH); and Erick Ajax, Vice President of E.J. Ajax and Sons in Minneapolis was the guest of Senator Al Franken (DMN). Both of these business leaders have spent the past year educating members of Congress about the sector partnerships they help lead, and about the merits of such proposals as the SECTORS Act and the Community College to Career Act. Both proposals call for a new role for sector partnerships in targeting federal training investments, in line with the call President Obama made in the House chamber last week. Vice President Biden Visits BLU Member to Focus on Sector Partnerships Following the State of the Union, Vice President Joe Biden traveled to Rochester, NY, for an event about job-driven training at Monroe Community College. This visit was the Vice President’s first act after being charged by the President to oversee a cross-agency review of federal workforce programs to ensure they align with local employer needs. Mike Mandina, President of Optimax and founding member of BLU, introduced the Vice President. Mike is one of the employer-leaders of the Finger Lakes Advanced Manufacturing Enterprise (FAME), a sector partnership that has been working with the local workforce investment board, three community colleges, and several area high schools to prepare local residents for high-paying but unfilled jobs in photonics and other local manufacturing. The Vice President noted that FAME is the type of partnership model he wants to look at as part of his cross-agency reform effort. Business Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships c/o National Skills Coalition 1730 Rhode Island Avenue NW, Suite 712 Washington, DC 20036 | 202-223-8991 www.nationalskillscoalition.org/BLU Unsubscribe Sign up to receive BLU e-mails