First Daughter Ivanka Trump, one of President Donald Trump’s senior White House aides, has launched a new jobs program–which will help develop the workforce of the future.
“The assembly line, energy plant and retail store have changed dramatically in the past 25 years—and the jobs have, too,” wrote Ivanka Trump, in the Wall Street Journal. “Nearly 1 in 5 working Americans has a job that didn’t exist in 1980, many in technology, the fastest-growing segment across all industries. Such rapid change is one reason 6.6 million U.S. jobs are currently unfilled.”
“Many of these jobs require skills training, but not a college degree. Yet for too long, both the public and the private sectors have failed to develop innovative and effective training programs. With a new initiative we are launching Thursday, that will change,” she added.
Despite one of the lowest unemployment rates in decades, many workers are still unable to find labor in the modern workforce–even as millions of jobs remain open.
Many of these people are located in the Midwest, where plant closures and outsourcing have gutted communities. These people formed the backbone of President Trump’s 2016 voter coalition, both in the Republican primary and in the general election.
Ms. Trump’s new plan will beef up new jobs training programs for American workers. It’ll also put a focus on adding more education opportunities for mid- and late-career workers, who often find themselves left behind as technologies change and jobs shift to more automation.
The effort was bolstered by an executive order from her father, President Trump, which was signed on Thursday afternoon.