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WHITE HOUSE VIDEO MESSAGE: Training workers for opportunities

WASHINGTON, DC In this weeks message, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council Cecilia Muoz reflected on the progress our economy has made, but also highlighted the need to continue advancing the Presidents opportunity agenda to create more jobs, train more workers, educate all of our kids, and ensure hard work pays off with higher wages and better benefits. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Hispanic American adults are four-times as likely to have low literacy skills, posing a great barrier for these hardworking Americans to move up the career ladder to better paying jobs that can support their American dream. This country should remain the place where everyone who works hard can make it if they try.

The audio of the address and video of the message will be available online HERE.

Remarks of Cecilia Muoz

Spanish Weekly Address

The White House

July 19, 2014

Hi, everybody. Im Cecilia Muoz, the Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.

Over the past 52 months, our businesses have created nearly 10 million new jobs. The unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest point since 2008. In energy, manufacturing, and technology, our businesses and workers are leading again.

The Presidents opportunity agenda is based on creating more jobs, training more workers, educating all our kids, and ensuring your hard work pays off with higher wages and better benefits.

On Thursday, the President traveled to Delaware to highlight how were trying to create more good, middle-class jobs rebuilding America: roads and bridges, ports and airports, high-speed rail and internet.

This week, Vice President Biden will release a report hes been working on to reform Americas job training system into a job-driven training system. And the President will visit a community college in L.A. thats retraining workers for careers in the fast-growing health care sector. Because every worker deserves to know that if you lose your job, your country will train you for an even better one.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Hispanic American adults are four-times as likely to have low literacy skills, posing a great barrier for these hard working Americans to move up the career ladder to better paying jobs that can support their American dream. The Vice Presidents report highlights these barriers to career progression and upward mobility and announces a commitment by the White House to work closely with businesses that have the potential to upskill entry level workers across the country who otherwise might be stuck in dead-end jobs, alongside commitments by unions, community colleges, other education and training providers and state and local governments to invest in the skill development of low-skilled workers.

Recently, Congress passed a job training bill that the President will sign into law this week, but we can do so much more for the middle class, and for folks working to join the middle class.

We should raise the minimum wage so that no one who works full-time has to live in poverty. We should fight for fair pay and paid family leave. We should pass commonsense immigration reform that strengthens our borders and our businesses, and includes a chance for long-time residents to earn their citizenship.

Nothing is more important to the President and me than you your hopes, your concerns, and making sure this country remains the place where everyone who works hard can make it if you try. Thanks, and have a great weekend.

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