Release Date: Sep 01, 2006Contact: 888-249-NEWS
Chamber Announces New Education & Workforce Initiative
WASHINGTON, D.C.-The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today announced the creation of the Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW), an affiliate that will serve as a bridge between the business and education communities to improve the nation's education system and ensure a capable workforce.
The new entity is the result of a merger between the Chamber's Center for Workforce Preparation (CWP) and the Business Education Network (BEN).
"The most important component to any business's success and prosperity is a competent and skilled workforce," said Arthur Rothkopf, Chamber senior vice president. "By pooling the resources of these two groups, we can help ensure that businesses have the educated, qualified, and skilled workers they need to keep America globally competitive."
ICW will be engaged in numerous activities both nationally and at the local and regional levels, including coalition building with state and local chambers of commerce to advance pro-education initiatives and community strategic planning. It will also connect state and local chambers and businesses to replicable and sustainable education and workforce development strategies, and provide comprehensive research and reporting on education issues and trends. In early 2007, the Chamber and ICW will be unveiling report cards on each state's K-12 education system and using the results to formulate education reform measures.
ICW's first major public event will be the annual Education and Workforce Summit in Dallas, October 4-6, which will assemble the nation's top education, workforce, and business leaders and feature a keynote address by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. More information on the summit, including a full list of speakers, participants and events, can be found online at /icw/events/default.
The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation, representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.
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