First Lady Jill Biden Visits Columbus to Highlight Workforce Hub
First Lady of the
United States Dr. Jill Biden visited Columbus today to launch the Workforce Hub
initiative, ensuring students and workers have access to good-paying jobs
created by President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
“A job is more than just a paycheck,” said First Lady Biden.
“It’s a path, a way to build the lives we want. And everyone, every American,
deserves the chance to do just that. Columbus and these hubs will be invaluable
models for others, and I can’t wait to shine a light on what’s possible when we
come together to invest in education and training.”
Columbus has emerged as a center of investment in key
industries—including semiconductor manufacturing, clean energy, biotechnology,
high-performance computing and transportation. The Biden-Harris Administration
is working alongside Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, City Council and Columbus
State Community College (CSCC) to bring together other institutions of higher
education, employers, unions, high schools and other stakeholders to ensure a
diverse and skilled workforce that can meet the demand for labor driven by
investments in and around Columbus.
“This is an amazing opportunity for us to give young people
in our community incredible chances for transformational training opportunities
and take advance of some of the jobs that are being created by Intel, Honda and
so many others here in central Ohio,” said Mayor Ginther.
A panel discussion included Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, Dr.
David Harrison, President of CSCC; Stephanie Hightower, President of the
Columbus Urban League; Kevin Hoggatt, Director of State Government
Affairs from Intel; and Mike Knisley from the Ohio State Building and
Construction Trades Council.
“The First Lady’s visit to Columbus to celebrate our
designation as a Workforce Hub is a culmination of the work that the Mayor, the
City Council, Columbus State, labor leaders, the private sector and so many
other partners have done to put equitable workforce development at the top of
the regional agenda,” said Columbus City Council Shannon Hardin. “To win the
future, we need to put our whole team on the field. From Columbus Promise to
Building Futures and more, we will continue to invest in training and education
so our residents can get the good jobs we are bringing here.”
Columbus is one of five cities chosen for the initiative.
Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Phoenix and Augusta, GA, are the others.