Press Release - Economic-Development Actions for Nov./Dec.
OFFICE OF GOV. BILL RITTER, JR.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, NOV. 13, 2008
CONTACT:
Evan Dreyer, 720.350.8370, evan.dreyer@state.co.us
GOV. RITTER ANNOUNCES AGGRESSIVE ECONOMIC-DEVELOPMENT ACTIONS FOR NOVEMBER, DECEMBER
Gov. Bill Ritter today announced a series of aggressive economic-development initiatives that will be launched in November and December to keep Coloradans working and the state's economy strong amid the national downturn.
"Around the country and around the globe, we are facing unprecedented economic circumstances," Gov. Ritter said. "Fortunately, Colorado seems to be somewhat buffered from the worst of it, at least for now, and this means our economic-development efforts must be more aggressive now than ever before.
"We need to keep our businesses and our employers strong. We need to protect the jobs we have and create new ones. We need to strengthen our job-training and job-creation programs. We need to keep recruiting new companies and new investments from all around the world.
"And this means making strategic economic-development investments in areas where we have proven successes -- such as the New Energy Economy and bioscience sectors -- that will result in high dividends and strong returns," Gov. Ritter said.
Among Gov. Ritter's proposals is a plan to invest up to $12 million to:
- Establish New Energy Economy job-training programs that would be run by community colleges and private businesses to ensure that students are receiving the best training possible for jobs in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
- Increase investments in Colorado's Clean Energy Fund to spur new businesses, projects and jobs.
- Create an "Access to Capital" initiative to enhance the availability of credit for small businesses -- the backbone of Colorado's economy.
- Make additional investments in Colorado's Bioscience Discovery Evaluation Grant Program, specifically for immediate job-creation efforts.
Gov. Ritter also announced several other economic-development plans today:
- He has declared Nov. 20 as "Keep Colorado Working Day," directing the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment to hold seven regional job fairs/hiring events around Colorado to connect job-seekers with prospective employers.
- The state's 63 Colorado Workforce Centers also will be holding open houses on Nov. 20.
- The state will ramp up public-awareness and promotional efforts for the Connecting Colorado website -- connectingcolorado.org -- which, for no charge, allows companies to post job openings and job-seekers to review those listings.
- Starting in December, the state will host a number of regional Small Business Finance Forums around Colorado. The forums -- being organized in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Colorado Bankers Association, the Colorado Enterprise Fund and others -- will provide small businesses with tools, information and access to financial resources.
- Gov. Ritter's office will be working with the new Obama administration and the new Congress on economic recovery, stressing the need for meaningful federal investments in transportation and energy infrastructure as a valuable tool to create new jobs.
- Gov. Ritter, Colorado Economic Development Director Don Elliman and 40 business leaders depart Saturday for an economic-development and trade mission to China and Japan. The mission will focus on attracting Asian investments in Colorado's clean-energy, bioscience and tourism sectors.
- Earlier this week, Gov. Ritter announced the "Healthy Forests/Vibrant Communities Act of 2009," which includes funding to create new jobs in the production of biomass, biofuel and bioheating products from beetle-kill trees and other hazardous fuels being cleared from Colorado's forests.
- Gov. Ritter will be announcing his complete business-development package for the 2009 legislative session in December. (Click here to read about Gov. Ritter's 2008 business-development legislative package.)