Diversity is key, labor official says

WARREN — A top official at the U.S. Department of Labor heard from local leaders today about what the federal government should be doing to help prepare workers for new technology jobs.

“The key to recovery is diversity,” said Mark Catello, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 573 in Warren. “We finally understand we’re not just steel and car makers. Those are great industries but we need to diversify.”

To properly do so, the federal government should offer financial incentives to companies to upgrade, renovate and expand their facilities, and keep them in this country rather than relocating elsewhere, Catello said.

Catello and others spoke with Jane Oates, assistant secretary for the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration.

The ETA administers job training and programs to help the unemployed.

For the complete story, read Saturday’s Vindicator or Vindy.com