NAM Joins Ivanka Trump in Push for Manufacturing Workforce Development
This week, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons joined Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump in Indianapolis for the fourth meeting of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board. The Board—which is chaired by Ivanka Trump and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and includes Timmons as a member—was established to provide advice and recommendations on ways to encourage the private sector and educational institutions to combat the skills gap crisis. Areas of focus include demand-driven education, training and retraining, including through apprenticeships and work-based learning opportunities.
“Ivanka Trump’s support on this critical issue is vital, and we are fortunate to have her as a champion for the nearly 13 million men and women who make things in America,” said Timmons. “Manufacturers expect to need to fill 4.6 million jobs over the next decade, so the stakes could not be higher for our industry. That’s why we are proud to help drive the work of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board alongside Ivanka Trump and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and it is why the NAM and The Manufacturing Institute are leading the Creators Wanted campaign to inspire a new generation to pursue promising modern manufacturing careers.”
Creators Wanted is a national effort, launched by NAM and The Manufacturing Institute, as part of a broader strategy to build the workforce of tomorrow. The campaign aims to cut the skills gap by 600,000 workers by 2025; increase by 25 percent the number of students enrolling in technical and vocational schools; increase by 25 percent the number of students enrolling in apprenticeships and reskilling programs; and raise to 50 percent—from 27 percent—the number of parents who would encourage their children to pursue a career in modern manufacturing.
A key part of Creators Wanted is a mobile manufacturing tour that will travel to at least 20 states, setting up at events such as state fairs, festivals, conventions, schools and gaming competitions. The experience will showcase the multiple pathways into manufacturing careers and provide resources for individuals to take the next steps to become manufacturers, grow in their careers and learn more about the industry.
Ivanka Trump has been active on raising awareness of the many pathways to well-paying and high-skilled manufacturing jobs. In July, Timmons and Manufacturing Institute Executive Director Carolyn Lee joined President Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump to sign the Pledge to America’s Workers, with manufacturers committing to provide training opportunities to 1,186,000 manufacturing workers over the next five years to address the industry’s skills gap crisis. Ivanka Trump also recently attended an event at Alabama Robotics Technology Park in Huntsville, Alabama, to support the NAM’s FAME program—an earn-and-learn apprenticeship that trains students of all ages and backgrounds, from recent high school graduates to experienced manufacturing employees looking to advance their careers. Originally developed and refined by Toyota, stewardship of the FAME program has recently transitioned to The Manufacturing Institute, the workforce and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers.
“Ivanka Trump knows how critical manufacturers are to the future of this country, and clearly she is deeply invested in the work that they do every day,” said Timmons.
