Early last year the outlook for the successful passage of federal legislation was viewed with some skepticism by the media and political pundits. Despite these views, the 106th Congress passed several key pieces of legislation in 2000 that will benefit New England in areas of international trade, economic development and workforce development . The legislation passed with bipartisan support and resulted from the significant effort of the New England Congressional Delegation. This landmark legislation gives New England, and the nation, an equal opportunity to access important trade markets. The Council made a strong advocate for passage of the bill.
China is the world's third largest market.
New England is home to many of the industries that will benefit from this trade agreement. And the region's reliance on trade with China has been growing. Another issue important to the region is the pervasive shortage of skilled labor, particularly in the computer science engineering and technology sectors of our economy. The issue is the focus of a major initiative launched by The New England Council in the spring of 2000. As we continue to explore regional solutions to the problem, there are some short-term measures that surfaced.