INDIANAPOLIS (October 6, 2006) - Governor Mitch Daniels today continued the launch of an aggressive training effort geared toward providing young Hoosiers, and especially minority workers, with the skills to succeed in the building and construction trades and for future employment in projects created by the Major Moves roads program and by Indiana's surge of new economic development.

The governor announced that training providers have been selected and registration for participants has begun for the new "Major Opportunities" pre-apprenticeship training program, which is expected to provide training for 640 people statewide in its first year. The first round of classes will begin this fall. During the current fiscal year, $1.6 million has been committed, with an additional $350,000 available to training providers as incentives for high rates of program completion, placement and retention.

"Indiana is entering a building boom. It's a unique chance for young people, and especially minority youngsters, to get a good-paying job and a strong start in life," said Daniels, who made an announcement at the Indianapolis WorkOne East office in Indianapolis. "We're going to experience record opportunities, so we want everyone to know about these jobs and that the state can help them get the skills needed to obtain one."

In Indianapolis, Associated Builders & Contractors, Ivy Tech Community College - Indianapolis, the Indiana Plan, and AZTEC will provide training. The governor also visited WorkOne offices in South Bend and Gary on Thursday. In South Bend, Ivy Tech Community College - South Bend and the Indiana Plan will provide training, and in Gary, training will be provided by Ivy Tech Community College - Gary and the Indiana Plan. Training also will be provided in Fort Wayne and Evansville. The pre-apprentice training will range from 12 to 16 weeks and begin in November. Another round of training classes will be conducted early next year.

"Not only do we have the governor-s strong commitment, but State Senators Earline Rogers and Glenn Howard are helping us develop this program and build support for it in the minority community. It's designed to help these Hoosiers obtain good-paying jobs," said Ron Stiver, commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development (DWD). The program is administered by DWD and funding is from one of the agency's unemployment funds.

Rogers spearheaded the minority pre-apprenticeship legislation, and the General Assembly has appropriated up to $12 million over the next six years for minority pre-apprenticeship training.

Registrants will be asked to complete a skills assessment that will be used with other criteria to select pre-apprenticeship participants. Candidates not selected for the pre-apprenticeship training program will be contacted by WorkOne for job placement opportunities in other industries or alternative training programs.

Stiver said some assessments may show that applicants will qualify to move directly into an apprenticeship or for another job.

"We're entering an era of record-breaking building across Indiana," said Daniels. "The Major Moves program alone will create thousands of new construction jobs, and then there is the record-breaking number of new businesses coming to Indiana, including such massive projects as BP, Honda, and all the new power plants and alternative fuel plants."

Pre-apprenticeship programs are short, intensive programs designed to provide attendees with practical skills to find a job or provide a pathway into an apprenticeship program. The programs typically combine classroom instruction with a considerable amount of hands-on training to take students with little or no previous experience and supply them with the necessary skills to seek employment as an apprentice.

Here are the training providers selected by the state to offer the minority pre-apprenticeship training programs:

Here are the locations and phone numbers of the five WorkOne centers that will serve as initial registration centers for applicants for the Major Opportunities program