President Trump Participates In Workforce Apprenticeship Discussion

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you Secretary Acosta and Secretary DeVos for joining us today. And thank you all, because we have been working very hard on being sure that Americans have the training they need for the jobs in the future. I also want to thank Ivanka, my daughter, for her leadership on workforce training and her efforts. You're working very, very hard to create new economic opportunities for women across America and, actually, for women across the world. You've been working with the Chancellor of Germany on helping women all over the world.

In the past seven months, we've made enormous gains in getting Americans back to work. The stock market is at record highs. Unemployment is at a 16-year low. And manufacturers have never expressed more optimism about the future. The optimism has been truly incredible.

Recently, Foxconn announced that it's going to invest $10 billion to build a new factory in Wisconsin. We want to make sure that every job that comes back to our shores is filled with American workers. We have a lot of companies moving back to our country. You're probably seeing that. Two major automobile companies just announced they're moving back to the United States, and they're going to build major plants. They're looking for the site. They're putting it out to seven or eight different states, and they're going to be very happy building in the United States. It's going to work out very well for them.

That's why, in June, we began a historic initiative to expand apprenticeship and workforce training programs in all industries. We're expanding pathways to success. So important. And apprenticeships are one of the many avenues that lead to the great jobs, completely debt-free. And who knows more about the word "apprentice" than Donald Trump?

In fact, under the apprenticeship, you earn while you learn. So important and so great. And you love getting up in the morning and going to work, and a lot of great things involved here.

We're also here today to discuss additional steps we will be taking to expand apprenticeship programs, especially for women and minorities in STEM fields where women have been truly under-representative -- really, I guess you could say, under-represented for many, many decades.

Technology has become a part of nearly every industry, from manufacturing to retailing. And we want all of our citizens, every single citizen -- including women and minorities -- to have access to high-paying tech jobs and other STEM-related jobs. American workers are the best there is anywhere in the world, and we're finding work for them. They built the skyscrapers of our cities, the roads and bridges across our land -- and we'll be building plenty of new roads and bridges, by the way -- the technology that has revolutionized the globe, and so much more, as you're well aware.

Their skills, talent, and grit have always put America on top. And we're going to remain on top at a much higher level than we are right now. And speaking of now, it is our job to make sure that they have the training, immediately, to lead us into the future. We have great, great hope. We have a great, great future in this country. There's never been more optimism. And again, unemployment at a 16-year low.

So we're honored to have all of you. Mr. Secretary, thank you very much. Betsy, thank you very much. We appreciate it. And, Ivanka, congratulations on working so hard. We really do appreciate it. Thank you.

Credit: The White House