Delaware News

Governor’s Weekly Message Transcript: Giving All Delawareans Affordable Opportunities to Gain the Right Skills for Today’s Economy

Former Governor Jack Markell (2009-2017) | News | Date Posted: Friday, April 15, 2016



More than ever, access to good jobs and a rewarding career requires education and training beyond a high school diploma. We have no higher priority than to ensure that we give all Delawareans affordable opportunities to gain the right skills for today’s economy. When we give that chance to our hardworking and determined workforce the impact is clear.

You can see the results in the 50 young Delawareans who just completed intensive training in health care and customer service through our partnership with the McKinsey Social Initiative. The graduates told us that prior to joining the programs, they were unemployed or underemployed, felt frustrated and stressed, and saw no way to jumpstart their careers. Now they have job opportunities that they could not have previously imagined in fields like nursing and hospitality. We must continue to grow that initiative.

While that program is free for students, we know the cost of advanced education is daunting for many. For the past decade, our SEED and Inspire scholarships have opened the door for nearly 20,000 high school graduates to receive two years of free college tuition. But some who need help the most can’t access these scholarships because they can’t attend school full-time or they need to interrupt their studies to care for young children or earn money to support their families. No one should be denied a successful future because of circumstances beyond their control. I’m proud to join the original founder of SEED – Senator Harris McDowell – to propose legislation that expands the program for those who must attend part-time or take a semester off.

By building on these efforts, we’ll continue to remove unnecessary obstacles to success and create opportunity for all Delawareans to reach their potential, while building a stronger workforce to grow our economy. And that will keep Delaware moving forward.

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Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

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Governor’s Weekly Message Transcript: Giving All Delawareans Affordable Opportunities to Gain the Right Skills for Today’s Economy

Former Governor Jack Markell (2009-2017) | News | Date Posted: Friday, April 15, 2016



More than ever, access to good jobs and a rewarding career requires education and training beyond a high school diploma. We have no higher priority than to ensure that we give all Delawareans affordable opportunities to gain the right skills for today’s economy. When we give that chance to our hardworking and determined workforce the impact is clear.

You can see the results in the 50 young Delawareans who just completed intensive training in health care and customer service through our partnership with the McKinsey Social Initiative. The graduates told us that prior to joining the programs, they were unemployed or underemployed, felt frustrated and stressed, and saw no way to jumpstart their careers. Now they have job opportunities that they could not have previously imagined in fields like nursing and hospitality. We must continue to grow that initiative.

While that program is free for students, we know the cost of advanced education is daunting for many. For the past decade, our SEED and Inspire scholarships have opened the door for nearly 20,000 high school graduates to receive two years of free college tuition. But some who need help the most can’t access these scholarships because they can’t attend school full-time or they need to interrupt their studies to care for young children or earn money to support their families. No one should be denied a successful future because of circumstances beyond their control. I’m proud to join the original founder of SEED – Senator Harris McDowell – to propose legislation that expands the program for those who must attend part-time or take a semester off.

By building on these efforts, we’ll continue to remove unnecessary obstacles to success and create opportunity for all Delawareans to reach their potential, while building a stronger workforce to grow our economy. And that will keep Delaware moving forward.

image_printPrint


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.