Washington, DC – Today, President Obama spoke in detail about his vision to “fundamentally change our approach to unemployment in this country, so that it’s no longer just a time to look for a new job, but is also a time to prepare yourself for a better job.”  He offered some ideas on his efforts to extend job training and educational benefits to workers receiving unemployment. Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) made the following remarks about the President’s comments:

“I’m glad to see President Obama embracing the need for increased resources for job retraining of unemployed workers in this country, a priority I have long held and fought for back in the 15th District.  The marketplace is changing. Most people can no longer count on staying at one job for decade after decade. We have to reequip our workforce to thrive in a new economy focused on green manufacturing and growing industries like health care and alternative energy.  To encourage this, I have been working with leaders in the workforce development sector back in my district.  Most recently, I called together nearly two dozen representatives of organizations involved in worker retraining to plot a more coordinated way forward.  President Obama’s attention to this issue is vital and I am certain it will go a long way in providing unemployed workers the tools they need to get back on their feet.  As we move forward with reauthorization for the Workforce Investment Act, it is my hope to work with the Administration to ensure that states with the highest unemployment, such as Michigan, receive all the resources necessary to help the thousands of workers who have been displaced.”