President Trump signed an executive order at the White House on Thursday aimed at increasing training opportunities for American workers to help close the so-called skills gap.
“We’re asking businesses and organizations across the country to sign our new pledge to America’s workers,” Trump said. “Today, 23 companies and associations are pledging to expand apprenticeships … for on-the-job training and vocational education.”
The president added that the opportunities will be for Americans of all ages, from college students looking to land their first job to older workers looking to learn skills for a new career.
More than 15 companies signed on to the effort, including IBM, Home Depot, Lockheed Martin, FedEx Corp, General Motors and Walmart. FedEx CEO Fred Smith said his company would re-train 500,000 workers, while IBM’s Jen Crozier committed to creating 100,000 new opportunities.