President Donald Trump holds up an Executive Order he signed that establishes a National Council for the American Worker, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, July 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
By KEN THOMAS, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is pressing U.S. companies and trade associations to bolster their job training opportunities as employers search for qualified skilled workers to fill vacancies.
Trump said Thursday at an event at the White House that nearly two dozen companies and trade organizations are signing his pledge to provide job training and apprenticeship programs as a way to boost the U.S. economy.
Apple and Boeing are among the companies that are committing to President Trump to provide increased training to their workers.
Apple, the software, computer and mobile phone giant, says it will provide additional training to 10,000 people as part of its ongoing initiatives with community colleges.
Boeing, the aerospace company, says it will provide increased training and continuing education opportunities to its 100,000 U.S. employees as part of a $100 million commitment made after last year’s tax cuts.
Neither company was in attendance Thursday at the White House, where business executives signed a commitment to train workers. Walmart, Microsoft, IBM, Lockheed Martin and General Motors were among the companies that made job-training pledges.
The pledge will help train about 3.8 million students and workers for new jobs and rewarding careers. Some of the companies signing the pledge include IBM, Lockheed Martin, and FedEx.
The president says the nation needs “people with training” to fill vacancies at a time of a low unemployment of 4 percent. He has signed an executive order creating a National Council for the American Worker and a workplace policy advisory board.
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