“Chairman Markey, thank you for holding this hearing today. The strength of our nation’s economy depends not only on innovation and technology, but also on the availability of high skilled and well-trained work force.

“Yet as Silicon Valley advances, so should East Los Angeles. We must ensure both that workers are skilled on this new technology AND that this technology presents a pathway out of poverty for our nation’s unskilled work force and underserved communities.

“I am proud that several of our communities have begun to prepare for this shift.

For example, Rio Hondo College which services students in my district has partnered with American Honda Motor Co., John Deere and the Robert Bosch Corporation to establish an alternative fuels vocational technology training program.

“The City of Los Angeles Workforce Investment Board, the Community Development Department, and the Department of Water and Power studied which areas of the economy could provide opportunities for high quality jobs. They found the solar, wind and biomass sectors are great opportunities for employment. I am pleased that our witnesses today can attest to the impacts these programs have on workers and the role of the federal government.

“More than 13 million workers this year (one in 10 workers nationally) will seek assistance from an employee training program. This training can lead to self-sufficiency and prosperity through higher wages, access to benefits and more career choices. Programs which link green job training to underserved communities in both rural and urban communities present a golden opportunity to advance not only the energy security of our nation, but also the economic security of our families.

“I am proud to be working to develop a green jobs anti-poverty investment act along with my good friends Mr. Tierney, Mr. Miller, and Mr. McNerney. Through this effort we can support both our nation’s innovation and technological leadership and drive our nation to lift people out of poverty.”