For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 21, 2004
President's Remarks in a Conversation on Job Training and the Economy
Remarks by the President in a Conversation on Job Training and the Economy
Mesa Community College
Phoenix, Arizona
4:06 P.M. MST
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I appreciate you having me here. You've got
an interesting accent. (Laughter.) Thought for a minute you were from
Texas. (Laughter.) Then he told me he was from Australia. And we
really appreciate our friends from Australia.
First, I want to thank you for letting me come by. This is going
to be an interesting dialogue to talk about how to make sure our
community college systems, not only here in Arizona, but around the
country, meet the needs of the modern work force. Let me put it
another way -- make sure that people get the skills necessary to find
work. And that's what we're really here to talk about.
The reason why we're here at Mesa is because you're doing a great
job. (Applause.) I'm sure we'll hear some of that -- soon. Before we
do, though, I want to recognize members of the United States Congress
who are here. I appreciate so very much them coming. That would be
J.D. Hayworth and Trent Franks and Jeff Flake. (Applause.) I don't
know if you guys were there last night -- this is the ultimate loyalty,
when they hear a long speech last night, then they come and get to hear
another speech, back to back. But thank you all for being here. I
appreciate your service to our country and your state.
I know there's elected officials here. I know there are members of
the Community College Board of Trustees. I met the chairman, by the
way, who did a fine job of lobbying on behalf of the funding for the
community college system -- (laughter) -- in this vital part of our
country.
Let me -- just a couple of comments, and then we'll start the
dialogue. First, we're still at war. And we're going to win the war,
because there's a lot of really brave, capable, courageous Americans
who are willing to sacrifice for liberty and freedom. (Applause.)
I was so touched, when I went to Baghdad or when I met our troops
around our country, to realize there are people in our country who are
serving something greater than themself. I think that's such a
wonderful part of our nation and our culture. And you just got to
know, our government will do everything we can to keep us safe -- keep
us safe by staying on the offensive, by changing parts of the world
that had embraced tyranny. We believe strongly in America that freedom
is the Almighty God's gift to every person who lives in the world,
every man and woman. And America will continue to have a forward
strategy of freedom to make the world more peaceful.
And it's hard work. I know it is. But in my judgment, it's
essential work. It's essential work so that our children can grow up
in a peaceful and free society. It's essential work so other's
children can grow up in a peaceful and free world, as well.
At home, we got a lot of good people working in homeland security.
I met the Governor at the airport today. It rained. (Laughter.) I
said, do you want to take credit for the rain or do you want me to take
credit for the rain? (Laughter.) But she's working hard, and the
coordination between the federal and state and local authorities is
good. We're doing everything we can to protect us.
The other thing that's happening is, is that our economy is
beginning to grow. And that's important. There's no need to talk
about job training if we're not creating new jobs. And that's what
we're here to discuss. I just want to remind everybody right quick
what we have been through, just to show you how strong America is and
how great the American people are. We've been through a recession. We
went -- we were attacked. And make no mistake about it, the attack
hurt. The attack hurt because it made it abundantly clear that this
nation is no longer protected by oceans, and that we've got to get on
the offensive if we're interested in keeping us peace and safe.
We had some corporate scandals. That hurt us. It hurt us when
citizens who should know better didn't tell the truth to their
employees and their shareholders. They're now being held to account,
by the way, because of good laws we passed. Then we marched to war.
When you're marching to war to make our country more secure and the
world more free, it is not conducive to capital investment. That's a
negative thought. When you turn on your TV screens for a lot of last
year, it said, "March To War." And that didn't instill a lot of
confidence in the people, because there's a lot of uncertainty when "a
march to war." We're now marching to peace, and we're changing the
world in a better way.
And the economy is growing, and jobs are getting better. There
will be honest disagreement about what I'm about to tell you, but I
strongly believe that the tax relief we passed is helping this economy
grow, and that people are having more money in their pockets.
(Applause.) So there are jobs.
Now, I'm going to talk about -- we'll talk about the new jobs of
the 21st century. There are some old jobs, however, that are being
filled by people from other countries. Let's be very frank about what
I'm about to tell you. There are some jobs that employers are having
trouble filling, because Americans don't want to do them. And,
therefore, there are people from foreign countries coming to do the
jobs.
There's a spirit of parenthood in everybody's heart, if you happen
to be a mom or a dad. There's a deep desire for people to put food on
the table to fulfill their obligations. And that's what's happening a
lot when people come from countries like Mexico to work -- they're
coming to make a living, and they're filling jobs that, frankly, others
won't do. It seems like to me that we ought to have a policy that's
open and honest about this phenomena. It's a policy that, in my
judgment, should say, where there's a willing worker and a willing
employer, those two ought to be matched up together in a legal way, so
long as the employer can't find an American to do the job.
What I'm talking about is a temporary worker program that
recognizes the reality of our economy. It's a temporary worker program
that also says clearly, we're a land of rule of law, that having people
in the shadows of our economy is not really the American way, is it?
So what I want to do is to say, let's have it all legal, in this
sense: You can come to our country for a period of time, so long as
there's a job available for you.
Now, that doesn't mean there's automatic citizenship; quite the
contrary. I strongly oppose what they call, amnesty, because all
amnesty would do is invite more illegal immigration. All amnesty would
do would say to those who are waiting in line in a legal way to become
a citizen that legality -- being legal doesn't matter in America. It
does matter. So what I wanted Congress to consider for certain kinds
of jobs is to put out a temporary worker card; to get rid of all this
business about people forging documents that put employers at risk;
that say, for the period of time you're here you can go home and take
money back without fear of being arrested. It's a humane way to
approach citizens of the world. Imagine being a worker here, and you
get abused, and you don't dare call the abuser to account, because you
might get sent home and you can't do your job of making money for your
family.
So that's what I call on Congress to do. It also is going to help
our Border Patrol. It's essential for the security of this country
that we have a legal system, so we don't have this terrible problem of
coyotes smuggling these people across the hot Arizona or Texas deserts,
making money off the system that has now developed in America. I think
we ought to let the sunshine in, have a legal system, recognize
realities. (Applause.)
At the same time in our country we have a debate over those kind of
jobs, we've always got to remember to make sure that Americans can find
work, too, of course. One of the interesting phenomena is the
technological changes that are charging through our economy. And this
government -- it's wise for us to understand that as technologies
change, oftentimes people can be left behind. And we've got to address
it straight on. And one of the greatest places to address that
phenomena is at the community college system.
And the reason why it's the community college system, it's flexible
in its curriculum. The old days of work force training are now
changing. It used to be they said, look, just go train people. So
states would go out and train 1,000 beauticians for 50 jobs. And there
would be 950 beauticians without work. But they'd say, oh, we punched
our ticket, we actually trained people.
Now we've got a new attitude in America. We're going to train
people for the jobs that actually exist, and, therefore, requires a
system that is flexible, a system willing to take input from the
employers, a system that is willing to change curriculum, if need be,
to meet the demands of local -- of the local workplace.
So last night in my speech, I talked about spending additional
money to focus directly on these programs, these collaborative programs
at the community college level, that takes the input from business,
takes the desire of workers, matches them so people can find good
work. And so Congress needs to pass $250 million job training money to
go specifically to community colleges to fund the kind of programs
we're going to talk about here today. (Applause.)
I've been talking too much over the last 24 hours. So I want
Martin to tell us how this collaborative effort got going. Now, one of
the things that's interesting, I told our panelists, is that not only
are you speaking to the folks here, but there's a lot of people
listening. I hope community college systems pay attention to what
they're about to hear, pay attention to what they're -- what's taking
place here in Arizona. It's a interesting idea. And it's one, I might
add, that the Department of Labor has helped fund to get started.
So Martin, why don't you educate the people?
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: Obviously, the IT industry is strong here in
Arizona.
MR. BEAN: Absolutely.
THE PRESIDENT: Well -- and tell us how this got started.
MR. BEAN: How we got started?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. Did you call everybody in the room and said,
all right, let's get after it? Somebody needs workers, obviously. And
so you came up with an interesting idea.
MR. BEAN: It really got started because educators got frustrated
that they had to reinvent the wheel in every community college, and
employers got frustrated that there was no clear way for them to be
able to mentor and coach employees. And as the industry, the
association said, fine, we'll work with the Department of Labor, and
instead of building programs for where there aren't any jobs, we'll
build a set of standards for people to educate to employers' needs to
get work.
THE PRESIDENT: A strategy.
MR. BEAN: There we go. And now we're executing.
THE PRESIDENT: Now you're implementing.
MR. BEAN: Exactly.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, while we're here, let's talk to some of the
implementers. Larry is the President of Mesa Community College, Larry
Christiansen. Thank you for your hospitality.
MR. CHRISTIANSEN: Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: I appreciate your staff for putting up with this
giant entourage of mine. (Laughter.)
MR. CHRISTIANSEN: It's been a fun few days.
THE PRESIDENT: I bet it has, yes. (Laughter.)
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: How many people come to this particular campus?
MR. CHRISTIANSEN: Just at our little place here, at Mesa Community
College, we have 27,000 students. We have about 3,000 that participate
in our Business and Industry Center.
THE PRESIDENT: And the Business and Industry Center's sole purpose
is to train people for jobs?
MR. CHRISTIANSEN: That's correct.
THE PRESIDENT: And you've got 3,000 now?
MR. CHRISTIANSEN: Right. That is in addition to, as all of our
colleges, we have other occupational programs that focus on job
training, as well. But much of what our Business and Industry Center
does is partnering with industry.
THE PRESIDENT: Here we're talking about IT. I went to a community
college in North Carolina. There we talked about health care. And the
only reason I bring that up is that there are several fields where
there's really fast-growing opportunities, it just requires a certain
skill. You just can't walk into the job unless you're able to be
educated into the ways of that particular industry. And in our
country, it's -- a changing economy provides interesting
opportunities. And Mary is responsible for making sure it all works,
aren't you?
MS. VANIS: We hope so.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. Tell us your job.
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: It's the ultimate outreach.
MS. VANIS: It's a great community outreach.
THE PRESIDENT: It works, because it's administered at the state
and local level. It's really good public policy.
MS. VANIS: It's a great policy.
THE PRESIDENT: I presume some of our students -- it's interesting
to call you a student, isn't it? (Laughter.) You never thought you
would be a student, did you, at this stage of your life -- which sets a
classic example for others to understand, that if times get tough, and
if you've got the desire, somebody will want to help you. And in
Arizona, you get help right here. (Applause.)
Stacey is with us, Stacey Leedom. She is a student. Stacey, why
don't you tell us your story? I told Stacey and Bill and Bob that you
just don't know, somebody might be watching our discussion here,
wondering whether or not he or she can have a bright future. And to
the extent that you can help shed light on where you've been and where
you're going, it would awfully helpful.
* * * * *
MS. LEEDOM: I was lucky enough to get hired on by a company called
Cable One, contracting first through a temporary service. But they are
actually owned by the Washington Post. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Can you change the editorial page? (Laughter and
applause.)
MS. LEEDOM: I'll ask. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Good luck. I hope you rise quickly in the ranks.
(Laughter.)
MS. LEEDOM: Sorry about that.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
MS. LEEDOM: Again, it helps me with a daughter. I want her to go
to college. I don't want her to make mistakes I made of not going at a
young age and having a full future and a full retirement plan and
everything. I now have insurance for her; I have insurance for
myself. It's a future. And I'm, right now, at an entry level, where I
was after 15 years of being a graphic artist on income. And that is --
in the end, who has to pay the bills? Mom has to pay the bills.
THE PRESIDENT: That's a really -- first of all, being a single mom
is the toughest job in America. (Applause.) Being a single mom who
needs more education and has the desire to do so is doubly tough. And
yours is a wonderful story. It is a story that others need to listen
to. If you're worried about your skill set, you're never too old to
learn. As a matter of fact, we all learn in different ways, don't we?
You've been able to take your desire to do your duty as a responsible
citizen and convert it to a employable skill.
What's really interesting about what she said -- I want people to
hear this -- when you hear about productivity increases and the
changing economy, she just said, by taking time to develop new skills,
she makes more in her new job, in the new world, than she did after 15
years in her old job.
The changing economy can leave people behind if we're not wise.
But the changing economy also is good news. It creates higher-paying,
higher-quality jobs. And that's what's happening here in America. And
that's why it's essential that these kind of programs that we're
talking about provide willing souls with the skills necessary to take
advantage of it. Fifteen years of work, her pay now is higher in one
year -- how long have you been at Capital One?
MS. LEEDOM: I've actually not been there a year, I've been there
about six months.
THE PRESIDENT: I rest my case. (Applause.) I appreciate that,
good job.
Bob Chapman.
* * * * *
MR. CHAPMAN: And at the moment now, I plan on getting my degree
this spring, and so I'm right now out looking for a job. I was able to
use some of the resources at the --
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, one-stop center.
MR. CHAPMAN: One-stop center. (Laughter.) That's the easy -- I
was trying to say the formal name for it -- at the one-stop center --
THE PRESIDENT: It happens to me all the time. (Laughter.)
MR. CHAPMAN: Then I'm in good company. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you.
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: I think it's important for people who wonder
whether or not they can afford to go back to community college, there's
pots of money that will help -- Pell grants in this case; trade
adjustment money, in your case. And I assume the financial burden has
been eased quite significantly.
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: You mentioned a word that I want to spring off here
for a second -- mentoring. I just want everybody to know that the true
strength of the country is not our military power, or the fact that
we're the wealthiest nation in the world. The true strength of the
country is the fact that we've got people with really good hearts.
That's the strength of America, the decency and honor of the people.
(Applause).
Obviously, what you just said is part of what I'm talking about,
mentoring to help people.
Hilary Juel is with us today. Hilary, I'm sorry to embarrass you.
You shouldn't have come out to see me at Air Force One if you didn't
want me to introduce you. (Laughter.) She is a -- she's with Make a
Difference service group here in Phoenix. Their job is to match loving
hearts with broken hearts, is the best way to describe it -- is to help
people who heard the call to love a neighbor, to just do that; is to
help save this community, and ultimately our country, one soul at a
time.
I want to thank you for being a soldier in the army of compassion.
I want to urge people in this community to gather up the spirit of the
Hilarys, or what you've heard here today, to make a difference in
somebody's life. And it doesn't take much to do so, by the way. If
you teach a child to read, you're helping America. If you go to a
shut-in's house and tell him you love him on a regular basis, you're
making a difference. No, the strength of this country is the fact that
we've got citizens willing to serve something greater than themself.
Take the community college system in America, it's one of our great
strengths. I hope that people who have listened here can see that in
the living proof of three citizens who, because of their own will and
their own desire, took advantage of the opportunity and are now working
-- or soon to be working. (Laughter.) Well, two working and one
filling out a resume. (Laughter.)
But I appreciate you all sharing your stories with us. It's
important to know that -- for people to know that as this economy
changes, there's opportunity. You've just got to seize it, just like
you three have done. I want to thank you for your -- for the example
you've set. I want to thank the folks here for providing a great
service to our nation.
And may God bless you all. (Applause.)
END 4:39 P.M. MST
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