WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is calling for a home-grown, high-technology workforce to will help boost higher-wage employment at a time of stagnant incomes.
Obama announced a $100 million federal government grant program to improve training and hiring of high-tech workers.
He says the U.S. needs to position itself for a constantly changing global economy. He says: “If we’re not producing enough tech workers, over time that’s going to threaten our leadership in global innovation.”
Obama made his remarks Monday at a meeting of the National League of Cities. The White House says high-tech jobs pay 50 percent more than average private-sector American jobs.
Twenty-one cities and about 300 employers have made commitments to work jointly to train low-skilled workers to make them proficient for jobs in software development, network administration and cybersecurity.
