President Obama announced the UpSkill America initiative in his 2015 State of the Union. Today, the White House takes action on it. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Today, learning goes presidential.
As part of the UpSkill America initiative announced during President Barack Obama’s 2015 State of the Union address, the White House is hosting a summit for 150 employers, labor leaders, educators and other organizations. The topic of the day: how employers and community colleges can get employees of all ages the skills they need to move up in their careers.
The summit will include an announcement from the White House on new commitments private and public organizations are making to expand employee learning and development. Organizations like College for America at Southern New Hampshire University will present case studies, and job site Glassdoor will demonstrate its On-The-Job Training Finder— a tool it launched in conjunction with the summit that allows job seekers to find openings with career development opportunities.
Attendees include partners with UpSkill America, an employer-led initiative focused on delivering apprenticeships, training and higher education to help their workers expand their opportunities and advance into new levels of employment.
The summit begins at 1:15 p.m. ET, and Chief Learning Officer will be live-blogging Vice President Joe Biden’s opening remarks. Below are quotes and highlights of the address.
1:55 p.m. ET: “The government doesn’t create jobs, you do. So we wish you great success.” Biden closes his remarks.
1:54 p.m. ET: There are 100 companies represented in the room, but there are 6 million companies that need to bring development to America’s workforce, Biden said. “This is an overwhelming, naked self-interest for the United States of America.”
1:52 p.m. ET: Sometimes there’s not enough information to guide employees toward programs that fit their needs and will get them where they want to go. “Many of you have stepped up not only providing training programs, but also to help workers access those opportunities and give them a chance to build their careers,” Biden says.
1:48 p.m. ET: Training increases innovation and unleashes the talent of your own employees, Biden says to the audience of employers, educators and organizations. “It’s something you guys understand, and I’m a little surprised why more businesses haven’t caught on to what you guys are doing.”
1:47 p.m. ET: Biden: “When you add it all up, the job experience, in-house training, coaching along the way: this is the stuff of which good managers are made.”
1:43 p.m. ET: At the end of this decade, 1.3 million IT jobs will be needed. That means 1.3 million people will need degrees and training for those positions. That’s not including the number of nurses, mechanics, welders, etc. Those don’t even require a full degree, Biden said, but a certificate.
1:40 p.m. ET: Biden: There are 10,000s workers looking for an opportunity to develop their skills and careers. “We are better positioned than any other country in the world” to lead the global economy into the 21st century.
1:36 p.m. ET: UPS’ Michael Johnson opens the presentations, discussing his growth from driver of packages to driver of human resources and development — all with help from the company’s tuition assistance and learning programs. He then introduces Vice President Biden.
