FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 28, 1998
Contact: Bruce Frame
Tel.: (202) 366-4319
FTA 01-98
DOT SECRETARY SLATER VISITS
JOBSPLUS! PROGRAM IN
SYRACUSE, N.Y.
Building on President Clinton's State of the Union address, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater will visit the Jobsplus! Program Training Center in Syracuse, N.Y., amplifying the importance of transportation to the President's Welfare to Work initiative.
"When the scorecard on welfare reform is added up, we hope transportation will be regarded as a bridge to financial opportunity, not a roadblock to economic independence. If we solve the transportation problem, we've helped a lot of people, and that's a very significant accomplishment," Slater said.
The Jobsplus! Program, a joint initiative of the Onondaga County Department of Social Services and Onondaga Community College, provides public assistance clients with services such as job counseling, job training and job search programs and vouchers for transportation to training interviews and work. The Jobsplus! Program is a major local partnership which includes the Central New York Regional Transportation Authority (Centro) and the county's social service providers.
Slater added the Clinton administration believes in the kind of strong state and local partnership that Centro has forged here with the Jobsplus! Program. He praised the program for taking the challenge of welfare reform and finding a way to address the major obstacles welfare recipients face, such as training and transportation.
After meeting with participants in the Jobsplus! Program and executives of businesses which have employed graduates of the program, Slater praised Centro for setting a fine example of the kind of cooperation needed to help make welfare reform a success.
While in Syracuse, Secretary Slater also had an opportunity to see the Syracuse Intermodal Transportation Center, which will house intercity rail (Amtrak), intercity bus and local bus services, while providing shuttle bus operations to the Syracuse Airport. Slater hailed the Center as the type of transit investment which will contribute to the economic life of this area and the country.
The Intermodal Center is expected to be completed in September 1998, and will serve as an anchor for public/private development projects in the area.
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