First Lady Pool Reports of April 5, 2023

FLOTUS Pool Report #1: Portland, Maine

Dr. Biden and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona stopped first at Southern Maine Community College's Johnson Automotive Technology Center in South Portland.

They were joined by Rep. Chellie Pingree, D - ME, Portland Mayor Kate Snyder and South Portland Mayor Katherine Lewis.

The group was welcomed by staff from SMCC and students presented information on electric vehicles.

Dr. Biden asked the students what kinds of jobs they're looking to get and the group talked briefly about electric vehicles.

The group is expected to make a second stop at SMCC at Jewett Hall.

As part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America Tour to highlight how President Biden's economic policies are benefiting hardworking Americans across the country, First Lady Jill Biden will travel to Maine and Vermont on Wednesday, April 5th. During the visits, Dr. Biden will highlight how career-connected learning and workforce training programs are central to the Biden Education Pathway, and the importance of investing in these programs that are preparing high school and community college students for good-paying jobs created by the President's Investing in America agenda.

As First Lady, Dr. Biden has traveled to over 40 states and more than 100 cities serving as a leading messenger for the Biden-Harris Administration's most urgent priorities, including supporting the President's economic agenda and championing education and workforce training programs. As states and localities prepare to take advantage of the historic investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act, career-connected learning, workforce training programs, and community colleges will ensure students can build the skills they need to pursue these good-paying jobs.

Investing In America

The President's Investing in America agenda – including historic investments from the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the American Rescue Plan – is building a clean energy economy, rebuilding our infrastructure and bringing back supply chains, unleashing a manufacturing boom, and creating good-paying jobs across the country.

As part of the Investing in America tour, President Biden, Vice President Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, members of the Cabinet, and senior White House officials are visiting over 20 states over the course of three weeks to highlight the impact of the President's Investing in America agenda.

To view the impact of the President's Investing in America agenda, see the Maine fact sheet and the Vermont fact sheet.

PORTLAND, MAINE

On the second stop in her four-state Investing in America tour, the First Lady and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will visit Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) in South Portland, ME, to highlight the college's workforce training programs and the state's investment in free community college. The First Lady and Secretary Cardona will be joined by:

• Rep. Chellie Pingree
• Mayor of Portland Kate Snyder
• Mayor of South Portland Katherine Lewis
• Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development

The First Lady and Secretary Cardona will tour two electric vehicle (EV) stations at SMCC's Automotive Center. They will be joined by Ruth Morrison, Department Chair of the Automotive Technology Department at SMCC to hear about the school's EV course and how the school connects its students to good-paying jobs. The two EV stations will cover thermal management of electric vehicles and testing EV batteries. Along the tour, they will be joined by:

• Joe Cassidy, President, Southern Maine Community College
• Arielle D'Haiti, Student, Southern Maine Community College
• Alex LaFortune, Graduate, Southern Maine Community College
• Griffin Simmons, Student, Southern Maine Community College

Afterwards, the First Lady and Secretary Cardona, will visit the Precision Machining Lab and meet with students operating a precision Computer Numerical Control machine, where they will demonstrate an engraving and a precision multi-axis vertical mill. They will be joined by:
· John Bolduc, Precision Machining & Manufacturing Professor and Department Chair
· Samantha Bock, Student, Southern Maine Community College
· Thomas Golden, Student, Southern Maine Community College
· Patrick Sheehan, Student, Southern Maine Community College

BURLINGTON, VERMONT

On the third stop in her four-state Investing in America tour, the First Lady and Secretary Cardona will join Governor Phil Scott to visit BETA Technologies in Burlington, VT, an electric aerospace company working to train and connect the next generation with good-paying jobs in emerging industries like clean energy. The visit will also highlight federal and state investments in high school Career and Technical Education programs related to electric vehicles. The First Lady, Secretary Cardona, and Governor Scott will be joined by:

• Senator Peter Welch
• Mrs. Margaret Cheney
• Mrs. Jane Sanders
• Representative Becca Balint
• Mayor of Burlington Miro Weinberger

During visit, the First Lady, Secretary Cardona, and Governor Scott will visit the air hangar at BETA Technologies to hear about efforts to increase early exposure to career pathways for high school students, and learn about community college affordability and career and technical education in the state. Along the tour, they will see an electric plane and electric vehicle. During the tour, they will meet with high school and college students, and Founder and CEO of BETA Technologies, Kyle Clark, and instructor of Automotive Technology at the North Country Career Center, Karen Chitambar.

Remarks program:

• Mrs. Jane Sanders
• Mayor of Burlington Miro Weinberger
• Representative Becca Balint
• Senator Peter Welch
• Secretary Miguel Cardona
• Governor Phil Scott
• First Lady Jill Biden

The First Lady has been a fierce advocate for community colleges, career-connected learning programs, and pathways to good-paying jobs. Dr. Biden has spent much of her time as First Lady meeting with students and educators at high schools and community colleges across the country, including:

• March 2023 – Ivy Tech Community College in Valparaiso, IN: The First Lady, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor and nominee for U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su, and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk joined Mayor Matt Murphy to visit Ivy Tech Community College in Valparaiso, Indiana to highlight the Biden Administration's commitment to strengthening our economy and building affordable pathways to good-paying jobs through career-connected learning.
• February 2023 – Mesa Community College in Mesa, AZ: The First Lady joined U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Mayor John Giles to visit Mesa Community College in Mesa, AZ to highlight how affordable community college programs like Mesa College Promise are providing students with career-connected learning opportunities that lead to good-paying jobs.
• November 2022 – Rolling Meadows High School in Chicago, IL: To kick off National Apprenticeship Week, the First Lady, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona traveled to Chicago, Illinois to highlight the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to strengthening our economy and building pathways to good-paying jobs through career-connected learning, Registered Apprenticeships, and community colleges. They visited District 214's Rolling Meadows High School with Mayor Joe Gallo to meet with students in the school's Career Pathways program and visited Aon to meet apprentices and learn about the partnership with the Chicago Apprentice Network and the Business Roundtable.
• October 2022 – Bates Technical College (BTC) in Tacoma, WA: On National Manufacturing Day, the First Lady visited Bates Technical College (BTC) with Mayor Victoria Woodards in Tacoma, WA, to highlight its job training programs as leading examples for community college and technical career pipelines that connect current high school and postsecondary students to resources and opportunities.
• July 2022 – Bunker Hill Community College in Boston, MA: The First Lady and U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh visited Eversource Station 99, an electrical substation servicing the Seaport District of Boston, MA, to highlight Bunker Hill Community College's (BHCC) partnership with Eversource and local unions to provide job training opportunities to BHCC students in Boston, MA.
• April 2021 – Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, IL: In one of Dr. Biden's first trips as First Lady, she visited Sauk Valley Community College with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to hear how the college is helping students in rural areas go to college tuition-free.

Additional background on Dr. Biden's history as an educator:

• As a classroom teacher for more than 30 years, the First Lady continues to shine a spotlight on teachers and the profession.
• Dr. Biden continues to teach English and writing at Northern Virginia Community College, where she has been a professor since 2009.

FLOTUS Pool Report #2: Portland, Maine

Dr. Biden, Sec. Cardona and the group stopped next at SMCC's Jewett Hall.

They received a demonstration on machining and talked with a student. Dr. Biden was presented with a metal plaque reading, "Investing in America," from the demonstration.

The group also got a look at a second parts machine and talked with more students.

Dr. Biden talked with one student how she got into the field, and said she wants to see more women getting involved in machining and automotive fields.

From the Office of the First Lady:

Today, on April 5th, 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration announced $80 million in funding available to develop, strengthen, and scale equitable pathways to good infrastructure jobs. Through the U.S. Department of Labor's Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program, the grant will maximize the impact of the historic investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, and clean energy. The First Lady will highlight this new funding in her visit to Vermont as part of the Administration's Investing in America tour.