Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - January 6, 2000
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke proposes investment in worker training, education

PASCO — After taking a first-hand look at technological advances in the food-processing industry here at J.R. Simplot Co., Gov. Gary Locke announced a legislative proposal that would boost the amount of on-the-job training and education for workers around the state.

"The most effective way for busy people to get access to a lifetime of learning is to be able to learn on the job," the governor said. "This legislative proposal will make it easier for businesses to remain competitive in the global market by investing in their workers' education. By helping their workers, they help themselves."

Locke proposed two items in his supplemental budget that would address workforce development. He has proposed using $1.2 million to invest in a Skills Gap Fund to help build partnerships between industries and the education and training systems. The proposed system would provide on-the-job training to those who need it, Locke said, while giving community colleges a chance to train workers to fill the needs of local industries.

The governor's second proposal would allow businesses that train their workers through contracts with local community colleges and private schools to get a business-and-occupation tax credit of 50 percent of the cost of the training.

"It's time for government to work together with industry to build an education system that allows all working families to learn while they earn," Locke said.

The governor visited the Simplot facility in northeast Pasco because the company has taken steps to increase workers' basic skills, computer skills and job-specific skills. The company works with community colleges in the area to upgrade basic skill courses for food processors, and it is developing cultural diversity and minority leadership training. The industry's association has established a learning institute to coordinate its workforce development efforts.

The Simplot vegetable processing plant is a design targeted to meet 21st-century processing technology. The company developed a building that allows for the development of advanced processing systems and meets requirements for low-maintenance costs. The 160,000-square-foot facility is built on port property, and the company's $40 million investment employs 100 people year-round and up to 500 more during the April-to-November season.

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