Raimondo seeks to 'rebuild and reinvent' RI manufacturing

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Gov. Gina Raimondo called for new focus on manufacturing jobs Tuesday night in a State of the State address that centered on expanding opportunities for the state's middle class through job creation and job training.

In her third address to the General Assembly, Raimondo referenced a forthcoming plan to "rebuild and reinvent" the state's manufacturing industry - hearkening back to a campaign promise she made in 2014 and retelling the story of her late father who lost his job at the former Bulova watch factory when work was shipped overseas.

Raimondo said the state's economy, business climate and workforce have all become stronger, but state leaders have missed opportunities to rebuild the manufacturing industry. They "sat back on a simple hope that jobs like my dad's would come back; that the factories would miraculously reopen," she said.

The address was a precursor to the governor's 2018 budget proposal, which will be released Thursday. That budget will include money for manufacturing training in high schools. It will also support equipment investments and workforce training for companies, she said.

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