President Trump signs Executive Order to benefit employers and workers

July 24, 2018 – President Trump signed an Executive Order last week that establishes the President’s National Council for the American Worker and the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board.

There are currently more than 6.7 million unfilled jobs in the United States, and America’s workers, who are our country’s most valuable resource, need the skills training to fill them. The economy is changing and expanding at a rapid pace.

This executive order is designed to solve challenges faced by the average American worker. Many workers, particularly in the Midwest, are worried about threats from automation. To combat this, the program will include high-tech retraining for workers. The executive branch will work with private employers, educational institutions, labor unions, other non-profit organizations, and State, territorial, tribal, and local governments to update and reshape the education and job training landscape so that it better meets the needs of the workers.

Ivanka Trump said of the program, “We will be taking this effort outside of D.C. and into classrooms, communities, and businesses in the coming weeks, months, and years.”

Reforming Federal policies is important to bridging the skills gap, and will greatly help those without Bachelors degrees.

The White House said Trump signed the executive order in the East Room, joined by executives from IBM, FedEx and Lockheed Martin and other corporations. A pledge by companies will commit employers to expanding apprenticeships and increasing on-the-job training to help Americans, from high schoolers to retirees, secure stable jobs and careers in the modern economy.

The pledge is supported by the National Association of Manufacturers and the NAM’s Missouri designated partner organization, Associated Industries of Missouri (AIM).

“Lack of skilled labor is now the number one problem for Missouri employers and all employers across the nation,” said Ray McCarty, president and CEO of AIM. “We applaud the President’s commitment to improving the lives of Americans while committing resources to help address this problem for employers, particularly as we experience record low unemployment,” he said.

McCarty said Associated Industries of Missouri will be assisting in any way possible over the coming months and years.