Over the last several months, we have seen tremendous progress on the economic front. The economy has created jobs in each of the last five months. Gross domestic product in the third quarter grew at the remarkable pace of 8.2 percent – the fastest rate of growth this country has seen in nearly two decades.

Consumer spending, personal income, and manufacturing activity, are all up, and the stock market rose by about 25 percent in 2003. All of this speaks to the resilience of our economy and the prudence of President Bush’s pro-growth strategy, in particular the tax relief that has allowed Americans to keep and invest more of what they earn.

Even with the positive economic news, the Bush administration will not be satisfied until every American who wants a job can find one – and the workers of Maine are no exception. The administration has distributed more than $116 million to Maine during the past year for job training and re-employment assistance to help workers prepare for and find new jobs.

Just this week, I announced a National Emergency Grant totaling more than $1 million so the workers of Biddeford Blankets Co. and Sebago Shoe can access the help they need to find new work. Altogether, we have provided the state of Maine with $31 million in National Emergency Grant funding alone since 2001, representing a commitment to help Maine’s work force transition.

At the Department of Labor, we’re not only helping workers through today’s transitions, but we’re also helping them prepare for a secure economic future. I have traveled to Maine this week to discuss the administration’s High Growth Job Training Initiative, an innovative strategy to help workers prepare for and find new jobs in growing industries.

The High Growth Job Training Initiative addresses the fact that the mix of jobs in states like Maine is changing and dynamic. For example, employment by 2010 is projected to grow in areas like health services, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing. The High Growth Job Training Initiative is designed to prepare workers to take advantage of these new job opportunities and ensure that our worker training and career development programs are better targeted at areas of the economy where the good-paying jobs of the future are expected.

How will this be achieved? There are three key steps. First, the Department of Labor is actively working with employers, trade associations, employee advocates and industry leaders to determine projected job opportunities and required skills in growth industries. Second, we are collaborating with educators, technical schools, community colleges and others to develop educational programs that will equip workers with the skills needed to enter these fields. And third, we are utilizing the talents of local work force professionals to develop programs that will match workers with opportunities.

The High Growth Job Training Initiative is just one of the ways the Department of Labor, and this administration as a whole, is laying the foundation for a strong economy and a prepared work force. But Congress needs to work with the administration to pass the rest of the president’s economic agenda, including measures to make health care more affordable; tort reform to reduce the cost of junk lawsuits; an energy plan to increase energy independence; streamlining job-killing regulations; opening markets to American-made goods; and making sure that tax relief is permanent so individuals and businesses can plan for the future with certainty.

The fact is that as our economy continues to expand, we are seeing more opportunities for Maine’s workers. But our task will not be complete until everyone who wants a job can find one and our work force is well prepared for the future.

Elaine L. Chao is the U.S. Secretary of Labor.