The National Association of Tower Erectors participated in a workforce event Thursday, July 25 at the White House at the invitation of the Trump Administration. The event was scheduled to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Pledge to America’s Workers initiative, a central campaign of the Administration’s workforce development outreach with the private sector. Both President Trump and Presidential Advisor Ivanka Trump attended the event, made remarks and facilitated a roundtable discussion with participants.
During the event, NATE signed the pledge at a ceremony to affirm the association’s commitment to facilitate training and professional development opportunities for 10,000 current and future workers over a five-year period. NATE will accomplish this through its Susan Harwood Grant training program, NATE UNITE Conference Sessions/Seminars, NATE UNITE Paid Training Offerings, NATE Wireless Industry Network Conferences and Professional Development webinars.
NATE Chairman Jimmy Miller (Director, MillerCo, Inc.), Cody Jones (Tower Technician at Tower & Turbine Technologies) and Ky Nguyen (Foreman at Rio Steel & Tower LTD) represented the association at the White House. “On behalf of the over 900 member companies of the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE), we are excited to participate in the Pledge to America’s Workers Campaign,” said Miller.
“The timing of this campaign is perfect as NATE member companies are currently on the front lines of the early wireless 5G deployment cycle which will lead to technology and equipment upgrades at thousands of communication sites around the country,” Miller continued. “Workforce development is a top priority for NATE and the association is committed to facilitating training and investing in professional development opportunities for the industry’s current and future workforce in order to ensure that the United States maintains our position as the global leader in 5G, and that this next-generation deployment cycle is conducted in a safe and quality manner.”
Given NATE’s workforce development focus, this event provides yet another major platform to tell the industry’s story. Some of the other companies/organizations participating at the event alongside NATE included Apple, Cisco, Lockheed Martin, Toyota, Air Conditioners Association of America and others. Ivanka Trump said the White House has more than 12 million pledged commitments to-date. View her tweet here.
July 26, 2019
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