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 This task is imperative if we are to ensure that the
impact of the uneven economic recovery that we have experienced does
not have debilitating effects upon the often rural, isolated
communities that have been left behind. Since the new economy of the
twenty-first century cannot function effectively if we accept the
persistence of “forgotten places,” the Rodriguez for Congress
campaign is proposing a bold new education and training initiative
called “Uplift in Place” that can prepare residents of the isolated
communities the opportunity to acquire the necessary skills that
they need—where they are—so that they can obtain good jobs—where
they are.
 “Uplift in Place” is intended to be a training program that will be
designed at the local level and assisted with grant support and
targeted assistance from the state and federal support where
necessary. The initiative is one that will maximize the use of
existing assets in the communities that need assistance, and it will
seek to identify the kinds of synergistic opportunities that can
maximize the effectiveness of educational outreach and training
utilizing the best practices in the field of distance learning.
Partnerships between community colleges, local public libraries,
some school districts, and some faith-based organizations will be
established and leveraged so that the public libraries that choose
to participate can become effective education and training centers
in their respective communities. In addition, we will seek to
encourage corporate participation in this effort to provide fiber
optic broadband access to the isolated communities that are thus
served and this can be encouraged through appropriate use of tax
credits as incentives.
Since “Uplift in Place” will be designed locally, it is not a
monolithic, one-size-fits-all government program, but it is an
innovative organic initiative that serves to remedy unmet need in
communities across the country. Individuals who need additional
educational certificates or training will be able to find access to
these necessary resources in their communities, and barriers such as
lack of access to computers or distance between their home and the
nearest community college will no longer be an impediment to job
training. Local community assets that provide nursery school and/or
child care programs will be included in and supported by the
initiative so that more flexible opportunities for educational
engagement can be arranged. In short, this program will allow local
communities to determine the best means by which the educational
resources of the twenty-first century can be packaged so that a
vibrant, locally trained workforce can be maintained.
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 Junius Rodriguez believes that
his thirty-seven years of experience as an educator give him a
unique perspective on addressing the important work of education and
training programs so that workers in the IL-18th can remain
competitive in the new economy of the twenty-first century.
According to Rodriguez, “The local design aspect of this program is
the most consequential. Particular needs and circumstances that are
recognized at the local level can be remedied through the
repositioning—or repackaging—of local assets, and government exists
primarily to play a limited supporting role in this endeavor.” Like
HR 2224 – The Youth Access to American Jobs Act of 2015, which
Congressman LaHood opposed, an initiative like “Uplift in Place” is
designed to provide local autonomy to respond to local workforce and
educational needs that can make a real difference in the lives of
workers who are seeking to better their chances of being competitive
in the modern economy. Junius Rodriguez believes that it is
important to support such initiatives if we want to prepare a
well-trained American workforce that can meet the ever-changing
demands of the new global economy of the twenty-first century. [Text from file received] Past related
articles
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