Remarks by President Trump, Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump, and NEC Director Larry Kudlow at Our Pledge to America's Workers Event | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    State Room  •  October 31, 2018 •  2:35 P.M. EDT


Larry Kudlow with the First Daughter Ivanka Trump at Our Pledge to America's Workers Event: Above. (White House photo)     Click image to expand.
    MR. KUDLOW: Welcome, everybody. I'm Larry Kudlow. I hope I'm hooked up with the mic. I believe I am. We are - we're here to celebrate, actually. That's what we're going to call this. To celebrate the new American workforce, is what I'm calling it. The new American workforce in the middle of an economic boom.

    And one person has gone around the country championing, crusading, so that every worker can be - listen to this word, it's one of my favorite words - "reskilling." Reskilling. We've all got - later on, I'm going to ask her about reskilling old broadcasters and NEC directors. (Laughter.) And maybe more.

    Anyway, the headline here is you have a new announcement now. This is private sector, okay? Private companies. No government. No government money. But dealing with the American workforce so it can fit in the missing links between job openings and folks who want to work.

    Ivanka Trump, tell us about it.

    MS. TRUMP: Thank you, Larry. And thank you for - for this opportunity. So we're sitting in a room today surrounded by companies who have committed to investing in their workforces and workers who have benefitted, and students, from those programs.

    The reality is that we have an incredible economy, a robust economy. And that's because of deregulation, because of tax reform. And for the first time in history, we have more vacant jobs than we have unemployed workers to fill them.


    And so this represents an enormous opportunity for us to think about making sure that every American worker is equipped with the skills they need, whether they're in high school and they're looking to graduate and have a job ready for them upon graduation, or whether they're a mid- to late-career worker who's looking for an opportunity to learn a new skill or learn a new trade.

    So we've been doing that. The President, back in July, announced a call to action where he wanted the private sector to step up and start to take responsibility and take a commitment for investing in their own workforce. They did that.

    Back at the end of July, we announced over 3.5 million jobs created by companies such as Apple and FedEx, Microsoft and Walmart, and so many others.

    Since that period of time, more than 120 additional companies have signed our Pledge to America's Workers. And as Larry noted, no federal funds are involved in this at all. And they're committing to retraining, creating new jobs, creating enhanced careers opportunities, apprenticeship, learn-while-you-earn opportunities. So several of those employers are here with us today.

    We've got the CEO from Textron, who is - has committed to 22,000 opportunities to train workers in the aviation sector. So thank you very much for that commitment. Ford Motor Company is committed to providing 55,000 new jobs and opportunities in the automotive sector. AT&T has committed to [offer] 200,000 new jobs [employees] and [reskilling] opportunities. And IPC - John, the CEO, thank you so much - this association that represents electronic assembly industry whose members have committed a total of 1 million new jobs and training opportunities. So just incredible.

    THE PRESIDENT: Stand up, please.

    MS. TRUMP: Please, yes. (Applause.)

    MR. KUDLOW: And so the headline is, you're up to -

    MS. TRUMP: We're up to 6.3 million new jobs.

    MR. KUDLOW: Which is incredible. (Applause.) Incredible.

    MS. TRUMP: And if you think about that in context, that represents 5 percent of the current workforce. So it's really - it's really remarkable. And really, this is that call to action to the private sector to invest in the current and the future workforce. And we're going to continue to have the private sector sign our pledge and agree to making this type of investment.

    With that, while the last event and the last time we were here announcing the launch of the pledge, today we really wanted to focus on the workers that benefit from it. So in my travels - and I've been to job training programs in now 14 states across the country, and really seen the best-in-class things that are happening on a state level - thank you, Governor Bevin, for all that you're doing - and on a private sector level.

    But I've met some remarkable people, many of whom are in this room. I'd like to briefly introduce Eric, who I was just in eastern Kentucky with, who went from a job in the coalmining industry to now a CNC machining instructor. He was so good that they wanted to keep him to train their other workers. So maybe, Eric, if you wouldn't mind standing and telling us a little bit about your story.

    MR. OWENS: Like he said, I was a laid-off coalminer. I worked in the coalmines for 30 years. I worked my way through it all. I was an electrician when I was laid off. I found myself without anything to, you know, support my family with. What am I going to do? Unemployment is not going to do it. I'm not old enough to be retired yet. So I got to work every day of my life. Yep. So I got the opportunity through Paintsville CAP office to give me the knowledge of the CNC machine school that had just opened up there in Paintsville. I was in the first class. Went through the 16-week course. Took to it; understood it, become a part of it. They decided to keep me there and I help with other students. We're on our third class now. We have people working in Louisville, Winchester, all around the surrounding area.


    But those guys, you know, they want to come home too and then work right there in their areas. So we're hoping that with the school and the jobs that we're creating, we'll bring industry in and we'll all flourish. Just bring it on. (Laughter and applause.) Thank you.

    MS. TRUMP: I saw firsthand - I saw firsthand just how amazing Eric is and the work that he does and the instruction he's given to so many in that facility. So, really amazing.

    And, Stacia, I met you in Houston. And Stacia is currently training to be an apprentice and is valedictorian of her class, graduating I believe just in a couple months. And is looking forward to a career as a pipefitter.

    I should also mention that you're a Marine Corps veteran. So would you share your story with us, Stacia?

    MS. BRIGHTMON: As she said, my name is Stacia Brightmon. I'm from Houston, Texas. I'm the proud mother of two boys and I'm a Marine Corps veteran. I currently - my oldest son is also a Marine as well, stationed at MCA Cherry Point.

    Following my career in the Marine Corps, I found myself unemployed working a bunch of dead-end jobs. And I was looking for something more than just a job; I wanted a career. So I was approached by S&B for their women's apprentice program, which is an earn-while-you-learn program.

    At that time, I was kind of discouraged because the oil and gas industry is not an industry that has a lot of respect for women and has a lot of respect for females. So I went and I spoke with my pastor, and my pastor gave me some words of advice. She told me that, "Be the change that I want to see. Be the woman that can go out there and make that difference, that can earn the women respect." So I agreed to the women's apprenticeship program from S&B. It's an 11 - it's a 16-week course and we're on our 11th week. And as Ms. Ivanka said, yes, I am the valedictorian of our class.

    I appreciate S&B for the opportunity that it has given me. Not only do I have a job, now I have a career. And I have a career that I can lean on and that I can look forward to and that will take me further. (Applause.)

    MS. IVANKA: Amazing. Amazing. Congratulations.

    And lastly, I'd like to introduce, Anna. Anna, I met in Pittsburgh, in August, in Robotics Row. And Anna - and I see serval of her classmates are part of the FIRST Robotics Team. And, hi, ladies. They are doing just incredible things in the field of STEM, and they're competing both in Pennsylvania and internationally, and are really our next generation of entrepreneurs, engineers, innovators, and really inspiring.

    So, Anna, will you share with us some of your goals and your story?

    MS. NESBITT: Yeah, my name is Anna Nesbitt. I'm a sophomore in high school. I am - as Ms. Trump said, I am a part of a FIRST Robotics Team called "Girls of Steel Robotics." You can see three of the other girls on our team right over there.

    Every year, our robotics team of around 50 girls from the greater Pittsburgh area meets at Carnegie Mellon University, and we build a 120-pound robot in six weeks. Once we build the robot, then we go to international competitions and we compete with it through a game that FIRST designs.

    But these teams are so much more than just about robotics. We - each girl on our team is part of a business sub -team and a technical sub-team which allows girls to be able to spend one day a week writing a business plan and the next day of a week welding.


    And it's really teaching girls on our team, and on all FIRST programs similar to ours, real-world skills that you could not get from sitting behind a desk in a classroom. So the things that I've learned through Girls of Steel, and been empowered to try through Girls of Steel, I know are going to shape my future.

    And yeah, I'm really thankful for the opportunities that we've had through these after-school programs in STEM. (Applause.)

    MS. TRUMP: Well, thank you. Thank you for sharing your story. And I thought that would set a nice tone for a broader discussion about the economic opportunity that's been - being created by President Trump and this administration.

    So, Larry, I'll kick it over it over to you now.

    MR. KUDLOW: Thank you. Thank you, Ivanka.

    By the way, young lady, robot building - a lot of people are worried about the future with robots. But somebody has got - somebody has to build them. Somebody has got to service them. Somebody has to keep them going. There's a lot of jobs there. You've got one. I think you illustrate an important point.

    MS. NESBITT: Yeah, definitely. (Laughter.) Yeah - well, yes. Girls of Steel really, and all FIRST Robotics programs, there's tons of scholarships through them. And you come out of the meetings feeling like you know more than you went into. And so that really does empower you to join that STEM workforce.

    I know Tina, who's sitting over there, she's interested in going into robotics. And whenever she started Girls of Steel, she wanted to go into history. So it really - it does empower you to try new things, go out of your comfort zone, which is things that girls need.

    MR. KUDLOW: Thank you. Terrific stuff. So, Mr. President, nobody wants to talk about the economy anymore. So let's talk about the economy. (Laughter.) All right?

    THE PRESIDENT: I like that.

    MR. KUDLOW: You beat your critics. You beat your naysayers. We're growing at 3 percent-plus. We just had a record - let's see, 18-year high in consumer confidence, I think yesterday or the day before. How did you do it? What's the message here?