Pool Reports by Jordan Anderson, Chicago Tribune
| Sent: | Reports: |
| November 14, 2022 15:14 CST |
#1 FLOTUS pool report: Chicago DR. BIDEN'S ARRIVAL: Just over 20 vehicles in the motorcade circled around the Executive One plane before Dr. Biden stepped off. The plane stopped on the tarmac around 11:50 a.m. Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board President, stood at the bottom of the stairway to greet Dr. Biden. Dr. Biden gave Preckwinkle a hug, and they shook hands. The two chatted for about a minute, smiling. They also took a picture together. The pool did not get to see what time Dr. Biden left the tarmac. The First Lady was wearing a matching purple jacket and skirt, with a light-toned scarf. VISIT TO DISTRICT 214'S ROLLING MEADOWS HIGH SCHOOL: Dr. Biden and the secretaries first joined a roundtable discussion about the Career Pathways program with Dr. Laz Lopez (Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, District 214), Dr. Michelé Smith (Vice President of Workforce Solutions, Harper College) and Kate Foley (Rolling Meadows High School Sophomore). Dr. Biden walked in the room saying, "Good morning!" "You're so quiet!" Toward the beginning of the discussion, Dr. Biden said she was excited to be there and she sees "how badly we need this to happen." "Not everyone needs a four-year degree. It's about jobs." Kate Foley, the student, talked about her engineering work through the Career Pathways Program. She works with metal printers and other machines. She said her teachers have greatly influenced her interest in engineering. The first week of class in her freshman year, she said they had to do an egg drop test to see which ones survive. Dr. Biden asked, "Did yours?" She replied yes. The student said she ultimately wants to pursue biomedical engineering, after seeing her mother's struggles with breast cancer. "There's gotta be a better way," she said. Dr. Biden responded to the student sharing her motivation for her career path, saying, "It comes from the heart." Secretary Cardona shared his admiration for the pathways program, saying, "If we could take what we have here, bottle it up and take it across the country, we would have a better country." "We have to systemize this across the country." He said work-based learning, dual enrollment, pathways to earning industry credentials need to be implemented in schools everywhere. In the second part of the visit, Dr, Biden and the secretaries went to an engineering lab at the school, a room filled with various robots and machines. One student and a teacher stood by a white dome-like machine. It was difficult to hear what was discussed. The group then moved to another two students who stood by a different machine on the ground, which is mobile and controlled by a remote set. Ethan, a student, said he is very proud of the machine and glad they finished it. The Rolling Meadows teacher said these kinds of activities can bring a lot of math into real life, saying he sees the lightbulb go off in students. One of the students showed Dr. Biden how to drive the robot with the hand controller. Both Dr. Biden and Preckwinkle both took turns moving the robot around the room. Toward the end of the demonstration in the engineering lab, Dr. Biden asked if there were any other females in the robotics program and response was there was another, to which FL said we've got to get more. BACKGROUND FROM THE OFFICE OF THE FIRST LADY On Monday, November 14th, to kick off National Apprenticeship Week, First Lady Jill Biden, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will travel 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.
VISIT TO DISTRICT 214'S ROLLING MEADOWS HIGH SCHOOL: The First Lady, Secretary Raimondo, Secretary Walsh, and Secretary Cardona will meet with students in the Rolling Meadows High School's Career Pathways program, which prepares high school students for college and career success. The group will be joined by Principal of Rolling Meadows High School Ms. Eileen Hart. During the visit, the group will visit students in the Engineering and Manufacturing pathways program and see student work related to high-mileage vehicles and robotics. The group will also engage in a discussion about the Career Pathways program at Rolling Meadows High School with:
Biden-Harris Administration Announcement: About District 214 and Rolling Meadows High School: |
| November 14, 2022 17:10 CST |
#2 FLOTUS pool report: Chicago AON EVENT: The event was live streamed on whitehouse.gov/live or the direct YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He7twTZdT2k Greg Case, CEO of Aon, welcomed the First Lady, as well as hundreds of apprentices and attendees from all over Chicago, to kick off National Apprenticeship Week. Hundreds were in attendance. He called apprenticeships a "true generational opportunity," saying they are a path to career success for young people. They're also a path to high quality talent for employers, and the foundation for impact communities across the country, he said. He emphasized his appreciation for the administration's commitment, as well as Dr. Biden's, to building apprenticeship programs. Terionna Wilson, Reinsurance Apprentice at Aon, grew up on the West Side of Chicago and is one of six children. She joined the Aon program in 2021, and is currently working to earn her associate's degree in business. She said she has found a new balance in her work and school. "I truly couldn't feel more stable and blessed. The apprenticeship program not only changed my life, but my family's as well," she said. She also called the First Lady one of the most vocal champions of community colleges in the US, saying she has "worked tirelessly to expand opportunities for those of us who may not have had access to higher education." Wilson then welcomed Dr. Biden to the podium. The crowd stood in applause. Dr. Biden discussed the commitment of the Biden administration to make career-connected learning programs a reality for all students through "unprecedented collaboration and historic investments." She called back to Biden's childhood in Scranton and the struggles his father faced when he struggled to find work. "The resilience and the strength that Joe learned watching his father kind of push his shoulders back and rebuild their lives in a new city. His dad used to say, a job is more than just a paycheck, and when Joe hired his cabinet, he looked for people who understood that too." Dr. Biden said there is an opportunity to make "some real bipartisan progress building pathways that work for all students." "It isn't a red issue or a blue issue. It's an American issue," she said. Secretary Miguel Cardona said the education system is fundamentally designed around one narrow pathway to a bachelor's degree "no matter who you are or what you're interested in." Cardona emphasized that the work to transform schools is critical. "Doing what we've done in the past won't keep up with the pace of our country to create new high skilled jobs and compete internationally," he said. He also announced the launch of Raise the Bar: Unlocking Career Success, a new Biden-Harris Administration initiative supported by the Departments of Commerce and Labor to increase and expand access to high-quality training programs. Secretary Gina Raimondo began her speech saying it is an honor to work with Dr. Biden. "We are so so so lucky to have her leading us and on our team and a woman who has committed her entire professional career to teaching students and community college," she said. Her speech focused on the collaborative efforts of education, labor and commerce to build out apprenticeship programs. She asked other businesses to follow Aon's lead in creating more earn and learn programs. "There's a long history of success in apprenticeships, and now we need to take the learning from that and apply it to other industries, which is exactly what's happening here," she said. Secretary Marty Walsh also called on employers to act, saying there has "never been a better moment than this moment right now to transform the way we teach and to be open to apprenticeship in every industry." He said the Biden administration believes apprenticeships have tremendous value, also emphasizing that they are investing in programs that advance equity, creating opportunities for women, veterans, people with disabilities or people "who need a second chance. BACKGROUND: The First Lady, Secretary Raimondo, Secretary Walsh, and Secretary Cardona will visit Aon in downtown Chicago, IL, in partnership with the Chicago Apprentice Network and the Business Roundtable, to highlight how Registered Apprenticeships programs and community colleges offer pathways to good-paying jobs, including in-demand corporate careers. This visit will showcase career pathways for all communities, particularly underrepresented communities, into corporate careers in key sectors of technology, finance, insurance, and banking. The Biden-Harris Administration's Apprenticeship Ambassador Initiative, which the First Lady launched at an event at a White House event in September, promotes Registered Apprenticeships. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the inaugural group of its "Apprenticeship Ambassadors," which included the Chicago Apprentice Network's co-founders – Aon, Zurich North America, and Accenture. Speaking program:
Joining them onstage are current and former apprentices at Aon, Accenture, Zurich North America and the Chief Executive Officers of Accenture and Zurich North America. The speaking program's audience will include apprentices and former apprentices, members of the Chicago Apprentice Network, members of the Business Roundtable, and other community partners. More about National Apprenticeship Week, Aon, the Chicago Apprentice Network, and Business Roundtable: National Apprenticeship Week (Nov. 14 - 20, 2022) celebrates the value of Registered Apprenticeships for industries, career seekers, and communities. Registered Apprenticeships, established by the National Apprenticeship Act, are an industry-driven, high-quality career pathway validated by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) or a state Apprenticeship Agency through which employers can develop and prepare their future workforce, and individuals can obtain paid work experience, classroom instruction, and a nationally-recognized credential. About Aon: Aon plc is a global professional services firm that provides a range of commercial risk, reinsurance, wealth, and health solutions. In 2017, Aon launched its registered apprenticeship program in the U.S. with a cohort of 26 students in Chicago. Since then, Aon has expanded its program from Chicago to six more cities. Aon's two-year Apprenticeship combines in-class learning at a local community college with on-the-job learning at Aon. Aon, along with Accenture and Zurich North America, co-founded the Chicago Apprenticeship Network. It is also working to expand local Apprentice Networks to new U.S. cities, with the goal of creating 10,000 corporate apprenticeships at participating employers by 2030. In 2022, Aon was recognized through the Biden Administration's Apprenticeship Ambassador Initiative as an Apprenticeship Ambassador. About the Chicago Apprentice Network: The Chicago Apprentice Network works to raise awareness of the importance of registered apprenticeships and help more businesses establish successful apprenticeship programs. Founded in 2017 by Accenture, Aon and Zurich North America, the Chicago Apprentice Network has grown to include more than 80 employers that have brought on nearly 1,500 apprentices in industries including finance, technology, consulting, retail and manufacturing. About Business Roundtable: The Business Roundtable is an association of chief executive officers (CEOs) of America's leading companies. Through research and advocacy, Business Roundtable advocates policies to spur job creation, improve U.S. competitiveness, and strengthen the economy. In July 2022, Business Roundtable launched its "Apprenticeship Accelerator" corporate initiative. The Apprenticeship Accelerator aims to help participating companies develop Registered Apprenticeship programs to expand opportunities to workers without a four-year college degree and to support apprentices' development and advancement. BACKGROUND ON JILL BIDEN'S SUPPORT OF PATHWAYS TO GOOD-PAYING JOBS: First Lady Jill Biden has worked to support the Biden Administration's efforts to create pathways to good-paying jobs. Recent examples include: October 2022: The First Lady visited Bates Technical College in Tacoma, WA, to highlight its workforce development programs as leading examples for community college and technical career pipelines that connect current high school and postsecondary students to resources and opportunities. September 2022: The First Lady launched the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Apprenticeship Ambassador Initiative at the White House. This initiative creates a national network of over 200 organizations working to increase the number of and access to Registered Apprenticeships. July 2022: The First Lady and U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh visited Eversource Station 99, an electrical substation servicing the Seaport District of Boston, to highlight Bunker Hill Community College's (BHCC) partnership with Eversource and local unions to provide job training opportunities to BHCC students. The First Lady met with students participating in a paid summer internship with Eversource as a part of BHCC's Electric Power Utility Technology Program. March 2022: The First Lady and Acting Assistant Secretary, Employment & Training Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Angela Hanks visited Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada, to tour the college's hands-on learning programs in nursing, emergency medical services, and radiologic technology; and to highlight how the American Rescue Plan has helped community colleges continue their efforts to build a strong, local, and diverse workforce. March 2022: The First Lady and DOL Acting Asst. Secretary Angela Hanks visited Intel's Ocotillo campus in Chandler, Arizona, to highlight how the American Rescue Plan helps invest in job training and how companies can partner with local community colleges to expand access to good jobs. |
Jill Biden, First Lady Pool Reports of November 14, 2022 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/358838