ALEXANDRIA, Va. — President Barack Obama says the growth of the U.S. economy will depend in part on training new workers for jobs in the manufacturing industry.
During a speech at a Northern Virginia Community College campus, Obama highlighted the expansion of an industry-led initiative to boost training programs. The effort links businesses with community colleges to help students gain the skills they will need in the emerging workplace.
Obama says the initiative could help prepare 500,000 community college students for careers in manufacturing.
The president's remarks come against the backdrop of recent economic indicators showing that manufacturers cut 5,000 jobs in May, the first loss in that sector in seven months. The unemployment rate also ticked up to 9.1 percent.
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