Bloomberg 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2020

MIKE BLOOMBERG INTRODUCES HIS “ALL-IN ECONOMY” AGENDA; WILL CREATE JOBS AND INCOME GROWTH FOR PEOPLE SHORT-CHANGED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP

Chicago, IL — Wells, MN — Akron, OH — January 8, 2020  — Today, Mike Bloomberg is unveiling the first components of his “All-In Economy” agenda, a series of initiatives that will bring jobs and income growth to people and communities that have been short-changed by President Trump. His plan puts more Americans to work in better paying, higher-quality jobs, reinvigorates communities through strategic investments and public-private-academic partnerships, and provides education and training to millions of community college students. This includes sending billions of dollars to communities across the nation to help create jobs and grow incomes by investing in research, talent, and infrastructure, and turning communities into engines for tomorrow’s economy. Mike’s plan builds on his record creating jobs as an entrepreneur and as a three-term mayor of New York City, where he led the city to economic recovery from the recession faster than the rest of the country and created 400,000 jobs. 

The plan calls for a raise in the minimum wage to $15/hour, labor protections, collective bargaining rights for American workers, and pilot programs to provide portable benefits for independent workers. Mike’s priorities around job creation will be coordinated with a broader investment in upgrading America’s infrastructure, and with his plan to quadruple R&D aimed at catalyzing the transition to a 100% clean-energy economy. These and other plans to broaden opportunities for others will be unveiled in the coming weeks. 

Mike will highlight his agenda during campaign stops in Illinois, Minnesota, and Ohio on Wednesday. 

• At Olive-Harvey Community College on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, Mike will talk about his plans to prioritize education and training programs to ensure that millions of Americans can learn valuable skills and obtain good jobs in the competitive global workforce. The South Side is a neighborhood that has long suffered from high poverty rates - in one of the world’s wealthiest cities. The plan includes investments in community college partnerships, apprenticeships, and other quality career training programs that partner with employers. 

• In Wells, Minnesota, Mike will meet with Darin Johnson, who runs a soybean farm that has been in his family for four generations. The Johnson farm, like so many others, has been hit hard by President Trump’s trade war. Mike will hear about the challenges faced by rural communities and discuss his plan to expand broadband access and protect family farms from monopolies. 

• In Akron, Ohio — at the Bounce Innovation Hub, located on the site of a former B.F. Goodrich tire plant — Mike will detail his major initiative to revitalize communities throughout America. Akron used to be the “rubber capital of the world,” but over the years lost tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs. Today, there are new industries emerging in Akron, thanks to strong partnerships across sectors, which Mike sees as a potential model for other cities. Mike’s plan includes significant investments in research and development that allow communities to build on their local assets and history, and turn them into industries of the future. This includes investments in education and skill-building for residents, infrastructure, and housing to ensure people living in these communities today directly benefit.

In his speech announcing the plan, Mike will make clear that too many people are struggling to get by with only low-paying jobs, and many lack the skills that will help them move up and transition from one job or career to another. Further, their prospects of success are being undermined by an outdated system that has allowed some to thrive while millions struggle, especially those hit hardest by shifts in the global economy. Mike will call for a major commitment to all people and communities to ensure Americans are equipped with the skills necessary to thrive in good local jobs. As president, Mike will make the skill-building a national priority and a major focus of his vice president. 

"President Trump is counting on the economy to lift him to victory – and he’s hoping to face a career politician who’s never created any jobs. Well, I will take him on over the economy – and I won’t let him get away with selling the American people more empty promises," said Mike Bloomberg. "We need to elect someone who can actually deliver real change – not just talk about it – and create more good jobs, with good salaries, all across America. That’s what I’ve done running my company. It's what I did leading the largest city in the country. And it's what I’ll do if I have the honor of serving as the next President of the United States."

Unique among the candidates, Mike Bloomberg has a proven track record of increasing job opportunities – as a successful entrepreneur, three term mayor of New York City, and global philanthropist – and has built on this success to inform his national strategy. He has created hundreds of thousands of jobs, built and supported training programs that benefit workers of all types, and championed workers’ rights and opportunity throughout his career. In his first term as Mayor, Mike launched the city’s first ever Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan, which diversified the City’s economy away from just one industry – finance – located in one section of the city, lower Manhattan. His programs resulted in robust community-level diversification that made the city’s economy more resilient and led to the creation of nearly half a million new jobs in New York City and the support of more than 10,000 small businesses. He also increased the number of minority- and women-owned businesses that could do business with the New York City government by 450%.

By contrast, President Trump has over-promised and under-delivered on his pledges to create jobs, undermining the economic security of working families across the country and leaving American workers underprepared for future employment challenges. Additionally, Trump’s tariff war with China and other nations has cost American businesses and consumers billions of dollars in increased costs. 

Additional details about Mike’s plan, as well as his record on job creation, are available in this fact sheet.

Additional Quotes

Mayor Steve Benjamin of Columbia, SC, Mike Bloomberg 2020 National Co-Chair:

“I’m a big believer in capitalism and I admire anybody who can create good jobs. Mike Bloomberg has done this impressively – through his businesses and his twelve years as New York’s mayor. There’s no substitute for hard work, but people need opportunities to work hard. I know Mike will bring good jobs to communities in every region of our country. It’s what he does. Mike has the skills and experience to bring good jobs and opportunity to people, and he has a plan. He supports job training and retraining programs. He believes in local communities and local talent. He’ll put federal dollars behind these initiatives. People won’t have to move to find good jobs, and we’ll be able to keep our communities intact.”

Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville, KY,  and Mike Bloomberg 2020 Campaign Co-Chair: 

“Americans need good-paying jobs. And while the economy may be roaring for some, far too many Americans are not seeing its benefits. Mike is a proven business leader and jobs creator. He knows how to bring people together to get things done, and he’ll bring that get-it-done approach to Washington. The job market is changing, jobs are becoming more automated. Mike will help our workers find their place in the ever-changing economy. I know Mike Bloomberg will bring jobs and opportunities to communities. He’s been doing it for decades. He created hundreds of thousands of jobs as an innovator, mayor and employer. It’s not rhetoric, it’s reality. Mike has always walked the talk and he’ll do it again, with good-paying jobs and federal funds for job training to get the entire nation sharing in the economic success.”

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Rob Atkinson, founder and president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation and respected thought-leader on economic, science and technology policy: 

“Mayor Bloomberg’s new jobs plan includes a welcome initiative for the federal government to help create jobs and income growth in more areas of the country. The United States cannot tackle inequality or lagging U.S. competitiveness if most innovative and well-paying jobs continue to be clustered in a select few cities – especially when there are dozens of communities across the country that are ripe for investment. They just need the support of an innovative federal initiative of the type Mayor Bloomberg is proposing.”

Seth Bornstein, Executive Director of Queens Economic Development Corporation in Queens, NY: 

“For nearly ten years, the Entrepreneur Space has helped launch more than 600 startup food businesses in Queens, and it wouldn’t have been possible without Mike Bloomberg’s support. Mike knows what it takes to build a successful company from the ground up. And as New York’s mayor he made sure entrepreneurs across the city had the right resources to start new businesses and create good-paying jobs for their fellow New Yorkers. Based on his strong record in New York, I’m confident Mike will expand economic opportunities for all Americans. He has the right combination of leadership and experience to deliver on his bold plan to put more Americans to work in better-paying and higher-quality jobs.”

Shiv Dass, president of the Jackson Heights Merchants Association in Queens, NY:

“After 9/11 the New York economy slowed dramatically. We represent about 200 businesses in a three-block radius in Jackson Heights, Queens. Our members are primarily South Asian business owners and they are the proprietors of restaurants, groceries, retail shops, business services, and more. Mike Bloomberg listened to our concerns and he took them seriously. Support from him allowed our member businesses to grow stronger, and helped our community thrive. Nobody has faced these tough issues like Mike Bloomberg and I think the country would be lucky to have such a seasoned leader in the White House.”

Jeff Nordhaus, Former Executive Vice President of Broadband and Innovation at Empire State Development. Nordhaus oversaw the $500-million New York State Broadband initiative, the largest state-led broadband program in the country: 

“Rural communities need access to broadband services so they can participate fully in our economy. Broadband enables entrepreneurs to start new companies, small businesses to find new customers, and local residents to apply for new jobs and learn new skills online. Mike Bloomberg knows that by investing in broadband access we can turn the tide for rural communities that are struggling right now. Mike understands broadband isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity. With broadband, farmers can connect with new buyers, and they can set up online stores to sell directly to consumers. Farmers also can start using new precision agriculture technology to grow more and better crops at less cost. Connecting rural communities to broadband is a smart investment, and it will benefit all Americans.”

Gregory T. O’Connell, Managing Partner at the O’Connell Organization in Brooklyn, NY:

"As Mayor, Mike Bloomberg was always supportive of the growth of Red Hook, Brooklyn as a business and retail district. There was no better and more significant display of this support than his mobilization of recovery assistance after the impact of Hurricane Sandy on Red Hook. This immediate response allowed our local businesses and stores to get back online quickly, allowing access to services and retail to Red Hook residents, and saving numerous local jobs." 

Paul Savage, CEO of Nextek Power Systems in Detroit, MI:

“I worked in financial services in New York City in the late eighties and nineties. Even then, Mike Bloomberg impressed me with his vision creating his company and then later on as he diligently delivered on his campaign promises as the mayor of New York City. The common threads were his ability to see ahead and his sound judgment. He just did smart, thoughtful things and got terrific results. Technology has brought so much to public life. It’s really only the beginning. Our economy and our society have so much more to reap from technological innovation. These advances are being hamstrung in the current national environment. We need a leader who understands how to implement and foster great ideas. Mike understands this: he’s a great coach of others and a star player. That’s why I’m voting for Mike.”

Peter Tu, president of the Flushing Chinese Business Association, a non-profit organization that fosters commercial and economic development in Queens, NY: 

“Mike Bloomberg is a verified job creator and his smart policies made a huge difference to immigrant communities like the Chinese community in Queens. Every corner of America needs jobs. Mike delivered them to us and I saw businesses form, grow, and succeed. Mike is a doer. His All-In Economy plan will help Americans from every corner of the country train and retrain themselves to participate in the economic future. Isn’t that what everyone wants? A chance to put food on the table and to live a meaningful, productive life.”

Andrew Kimball, Industry City a historic innovative shipping, warehousing, and manufacturing complex in Brooklyn, NY: 

“As Mayor, Mike Bloomberg didn’t give up on manufacturing, and as part of his vision to create opportunity in every part of the city he invested in rebuilding the Brooklyn Navy Yard, transforming it into a national model for urban industrial transformation focused on the innovation economy and modern manufacturing. That model has now been embraced by private sector developments like Industry City creating thousands of new accessible jobs in growth sectors for New Yorkers.” 

Eddie Zheng, General Manager of the Flushing restaurant, Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao in Queens, NY: 

“I’m a big Mike Bloomberg fan. I own and manage one of the most popular restaurants in Queens, and I serve thousands of happy people who come from all over to taste our famous soup dumplings. Mike knew that my community deserved a neighborhood we could be proud of. By investing in Queens, Mike put Flushing on the map, and made it easier for me to attract the customers we needed to succeed. I did the work, but Mike made it count for more.”

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Chicago, IL -- “AJ, thank you – and let me thank everyone here at Olive-Harvey for hosting us. Didn’t AJ do a great job? Another round of applause for her. I think she has a bright future if she chooses to stay at McDonald’s.
 
“But I should admit that I am more of a Subway sandwich guy. I could have their B.M.T.’s every meal for the rest of my life – no oil or cheese, extra vinegar, please.
 
“It’s great to be here on the South Side of Chicago. And even though the Bulls aren’t having a great season, it could be worse: you could be a Knicks fan. 
 
“This really is a great city, and I’ve always enjoyed my time here. But let me say at the outset that my thoughts this morning, and I’m sure yours, are with the men and women in uniform serving in Iraq and the Middle East.
 
“I know that a young Army specialist from this area was killed this week during an attack on his base in Kenya. And I know all our prayers are with him. So if we could have a moment of silence just to think about him. 
 
“That’s a tragedy – and now I think we face even more extreme threats from Iran. The situation is still unfolding, but in any crisis it’s imperative that the Commander-in-Chief think through all the implications of his actions or her actions, with the help of her or his top advisers, and not act rashly or recklessly. I certainly hope the president does that. But unfortunately, as we all know, that’s just not in his nature. 
 
“That’s one of the reasons why I spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia back in 2016, and I said that he did not have the characteristics that we need as president. And at a time when our nation should be unified, he has spent three years dividing us by party, by race, by ethnicity, and by religion.  
 
“A few months ago, President Trump was in Chicago to give a speech, and as he usually does he equated immigrants with criminals. He often does that and it’s become almost normal. Well, I’ve got to tell you, it is not normal. And we can’t ever let it become normal.  
 
“The fact is, immigration doesn’t threaten America. It strengthens America. You’ve seen that right here in Chicago. I’ve seen it in New York. And you see it in towns around the country, and they’ve all seen it. 
 
“Today, I’d like to address another fact that the President tries to deny: the U.S. economy is working just fine for people like me, it really is. But it is badly broken for the vast majority of Americans. 
 
“The president says this is the greatest economy in the history of America. Well yeah, the stock market is at an all-time high. But almost half the country doesn’t own any stocks. And the top 10 percent own about 85 percent of the market. So nearly all the gains from the market are going to a select few. That’s not fair – and it’s not sustainable either. We have to change it – and as President, I promise you I will. 
 
“The President also talks about record low unemployment. But 53 million Americans – nearly half of all the workers – are making an average of only $10.22 per hour, and earning $18,000 a year before taxes. That’s not enough to escape poverty – no less raise a family. 
 
“But has President Trump pushed for an increase in the minimum wage? No he has not. It’s been the same – $7.25 – for ten years. Ten years. 
 
“Think about what happened during that ten years. The cost of the average home has gone up by more than $100,000, and the cost of health care has gone up $3,000 per person. 
 
“If the economy were actually healthy, Americans would be seeing it in their pockets. But they’re not. And changing that will be one of my top priorities. 
 
“Now, that starts with raising the national minimum wage to $15 an hour, which we’ve done in New York. And expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, and increasing the child tax credit so that no American worker has to raise a family in poverty. 
 
“In fairness, our country faces serious economic problems and faced them before President Trump took office. That’s one of the reasons he won in 2016. He promised to fix the problems, but instead I think he has made them worse. He has broken promise after promise. 
 
“Let me just jog your memory for a moment: remember when Candidate Trump promised to deliver for regular people – the forgotten Americans? Well, President Trump passed the biggest tax cut in history, and nearly all of the money went to people who did not need it, like me. 
 
“Remember when Candidate Trump stood up in front of the General Motors factory in Lordstown, Ohio and he promised to keep it open? In 2018, that plant closed down.
 
“Remember when Candidate Trump promised to save the American steel industry? Well, he didn’t. And before Christmas, U.S. Steel announced that it would cut up to 1,550 jobs in Michigan. 
 
“Remember when Candidate Trump promised to protect the American farmer? Well, last year farmers lost billions of dollars, and many lost their farms, as a direct result of the tariffs and trade wars.
 
“Again and again, Candidate Trump made economic promises to working people that he had no intention of keeping, and no ability to do that. And I’m sure he has broken all of them. 
 
“All across America, there are people and places that are getting shortchanged by an economy that is failing to spread opportunity and by a president who doesn’t keep his word.
 
“Today, the share of national income going to workers – rather than to investors – is near an all-time low. Too much wealth is in too few hands, and too few places as well. We have an economic inequality that is distributed unfairly across this country. 
 
“Yes, there are a handful of big cities that have boomed, including New York and Chicago. But too many people in the boomed regions are excluded from sharing in the prosperity. And much of the rest of the country has been in stagnation and hollowing out of the middle class.  
 
“We can’t continue to have opportunity and good jobs clustered in a small number of places. That geographic inequality is a prosperity divide that President Trump is making worse.
 
“But it’s not enough to criticize just President Trump. We need to elect someone who can actually deliver real change – not just talk about it – and create more good jobs, with good salaries, all across America than just make some empty promises. And that’s why I’m here today.
 
“We need to build what I call an All-In Economy. It’s an economy where all Americans benefit from good jobs and rising incomes all across the country.  
 
“I know we can do that. Why? Because we did it in New York City in the 12 years I was Mayor. And I want to help communities all across the country do it as well.
 
“I know how to create jobs and build businesses not because I played a business leader on a TV show, but because I’ve actually been one in real life. 
 
“So today, I’m announcing a concrete strategy for spreading good jobs and good pay to places where they don’t exist now. 
 
“My strategy starts with a basic premise: the federal government is grossly under-investing in America – and Americans. Well, I believe in America and I believe in the American spirit. And I have always believed that success starts with investing in people and place where they live and work. 
 
“Let me talk about places first. What I’ve been doing is building my business, and that’s what I’ve done in running New York City for 12 years, and that’s what I’ll do if I have the honor of serving as the next president of the United States.
 
“First, let me begin with investments that I’ll make in places. When I was elected mayor just a few weeks after the terror attacks of 9/11, our city was in tatters and many people doubted its future.
 
“The question everyone asked us was can you rebuild Lower Manhattan? Our answer was yes, but that’s not enough. So we set out to rebuild every area of the city that had been hurt by the same kind of factory closures and industrial decline that places across America have been experiencing for a long time. 
 
“One of the first things I did was cancel a taxpayer subsidy for a new stock exchange building, and we developed a citywide economic plan that focused on creating good jobs in neighborhoods outside of Manhattan. And you know what? It worked. 
 
“We did it by investing in places – particularly places that had been abandoned and neglected. We built new infrastructure – like water and sewer lines – where they didn’t exist. We expanded the mass transit system so you could get from where the jobs were to where you could afford to live. 
 
“We offered incentives for companies to transform old industrial areas into advanced manufacturing centers. We built affordable housing which helped revitalize local business districts. We helped communities that lacked access to capital to get it – so they could start small businesses. We offered land to attract a major new university campus.
 
“And through all that, we spread good jobs to every corner of the city, and places that had been abandoned and shortchanged for all too long. 
 
“I know we can do that across America, especially in small towns, rural areas, and neighborhoods like this one where good jobs are all too scarce.
 
“The single best thing we can do to raise economic growth and income is to dramatically increase public investment in America, especially in areas of the country that have been hurt by globalization and automation, and that the federal government has ignored for all too long. 
 
“Other countries are already doing this. In fact, one of the reasons that the Chinese economy has seen such strong growth is that they are catching up to us in R&D investment, and this at a time when Trump has been trying to cut back.
 
“That’s the problem: Trump wants to take on China, but he doesn’t know the first thing about how to do it effectively. 
 
“Yes, we need to hold China accountable for exploiting the world's trading systems and stealing American intellectual property. But we also have to try to get them to change their undemocratic practices and human rights violations.
 
“Having said that, we won’t beat China with trade wars that hurt our own farmers and factory workers. We’ll beat China by investing in America. And that’s what we should do, and that would be my program. 
 
“We’ll spread that investment across America through a new effort to build something that we’re going to call job factories. I will increase spending on R&D by over $100 billion through agencies like the National Institutes of Health, DARPA, the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and new programs that will advance innovation in manufacturing, agriculture, and other industries.
 
“Now those job factories won’t typically be new physical plants. Instead, they will be investments built on strengths that already exist in communities. We’ll help local partners tap into the potential of the economic engines that already exist within them, because we don’t have the time to do something where the game plan is to do something 10 and 15 years from now. 
 
“People need jobs right now, and so if you have a tradition of manufacturing or farming in your area, we’ll help you grow new businesses right there. If you have a good hospital system, or a good university, we’ll help it become an even stronger job creator. But we won't let them get hijacked by a few financial gamers, the way that federal opportunity zones have been.
 
“Done right, this is the best way to help a community’s economy – not five, ten, or twenty years down the road, but immediately. Because the key to creating good jobs isn’t tearing everything down and starting from scratch. We just don’t have the luxury of doing that. It’s figuring out what strengths communities have – and building on them. And that’s what we did in New York. 
 
“By doing that, we’ll pave the way for technological and scientific breakthroughs that will create good jobs locally – and all across the country in everything from green energy and sustainable agriculture to advanced manufacturing and public health. That’s why we call them job factories – because that’s what those investments will produce: jobs. 
 
“Let me just give you a quick example of how it could work using a city that I’m going to later today. I’m going to Akron, Ohio, and even though Akron lost 40,000 manufacturing jobs over the past 40 years, Akron has as much potential as ever. Goodyear is headquartered there, and it conducts R&D there. Why? Because the local workforce has decades of experience in industry.
 
“In addition, the University of Akron’s polymer and engineering program is one of the best in the world.
 
“By working with local leaders to invest in Akron’s strengths, we think we can turn that into a job factory for advanced manufacturing for the region. Companies will go there because the people that are there are well educated and want to work hard, and the community wants to welcome new people in. We just need to give them a little bit of help to advertise it and get people to come, and maybe a little subsidy here and there. 
 
“We can do that not only in Akron – but we can do it in communities across this country. And as a precondition to receiving funding, I’ll make sure that local governments will have to show that they have concrete job creating projects for all communities in the region – including women and people of color – who will participate in this growth, and benefit from it.
 
“Also, they will have to have a public schedule as to when and where those jobs will be so the press can hold our feet to the fire so it’s just not another announcement. We’re going to make sure everyone knows when we create those jobs and how long they last. For too long the scam of promising something and delivering nothing has just kept us going downhill, and we’ve just got to turn it around. 
 
“Now, investing in places to spur more good job growth also means investing in their infrastructure, and that’s where government can come in. 
 
“As a candidate, Donald Trump promised that he would transform the nation’s infrastructure – but he’s done nothing. It’s another broken promise that is hurting our country.
 
“I have a long track record of investing in infrastructure. As president, I will improve and expand roads and bridges, water systems, and the other infrastructure, just as we did in New York.
 
“And in rural areas, we will provide every single American with access to high speed internet through wireless, fixed broadband, and rapidly emerging satellite services that are getting better and better, thanks to new technologies and investments from new entrants into the field. By investing in infrastructure and R&D, we’ll create good jobs that pay well. 
 
“So second, let me talk about people. We need to make sure that the people who need those jobs most can actually do the work, so let’s move about talking from places to investing in people, because too many Americans just don’t have the support and opportunities that my generation had. 
 
“Growing up, my father never made more than $6,000 his best year of his life. I was luckier. Fifteen or 20 years later my first job paid $9,000 a year and it lasted for 15 years until I got fired. But as my mother once told me, we never knew anyone whose name was in the newspaper unless it was in the crime or obit section. So we didn’t have any influence. We went out, and I followed my mother and father and they taught me hard work and honesty. 
 
“Back then if you remember, even a high school diploma was enough to have a good career, buy a house, raise a family. None of us ever worried our jobs would be automated out of existence, it just wasn’t a concept that we thought about. But over the past few decades, technology has eliminated millions of good-paying jobs across our country, and that’s a trend that is continuing. 
 
“We have to tackle this challenge head-on – and not by promising to bring back jobs that are gone forever, as President Trump does. We have to make job training and re-training for the new era. Jobs have to be a national priority – and I will make them so. 
 
“We have to invest in our community colleges, like this one, so they can connect more Americans to good paying jobs – and I will do that. 
 
“We have to lead a major expansion of apprenticeship programs – and I will do that.
 
“The dignity of a good job with good pay is so important – and I’m going help all Americans get the skills they need to get those jobs, and with hard work let them share in the American Dream. Too many Americans don’t have the support and opportunity that my generation had, and we’ve got to make sure that we expand that opportunity. 
 
“As president, on my first day in office, I will sign an executive order streamlining the 46 existing training and re-training programs – and bringing them under one umbrella.
 
“I will also ask my Vice President, whoever he or she may be, to directly oversee the reorganization publicly so everyone can measure the results – and hold their feet to the fire, along with mine.
 
“And I will expand and improve the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program to cover workers who have lost their jobs due to new technology. 
 
“But sometimes, training isn’t enough. Last week, I met a woman named Jackie from Toledo who worked at Chrysler for 13 years before the company downsized. She took the buyout and used the money to get a Master’s Degree in Public Health because she’s already had a background in engineering, and because she knew health was a growing field.  
 
“Since graduating, she has sent in 75 applications to employers but she hasn’t gotten one call back. Not one. Zero. Nada. Zilch. Nothing. Something is wrong. I was with this woman and I thought that she really is qualified. She is qualified so much that after hearing her story I told her she could put me down as a reference. Whether that’s going to get her a job or not, I don’t know. The problem she faces is that she doesn’t have a network – and it’s hard to break into a new industry.
 
“My plan will connect people to available career advisors and navigators who will help people like Jackie not just get a degree or credential, but to get a good job and raise their incomes. 
 
“Now I know this strategy can work. Why? Because my foundation has already used it to help low-income high school students graduate and go to the top colleges in the country. We know how to make those connections between student applicants and good schools – and using a similar model to connect job applicants and employers I think is a no-brainer. It's another example of how using proven techniques in a different but comparable setting to do things to help workers today.
 
“One of our most valuable allies in this work will be community colleges like this one – and we will make a major investment in their capacity to prepare students for good jobs and connect them to those industries. 
 
“We will form partnerships with governors to align community college curriculums and standards with the skills that lead to those good jobs. Programs like these have been found to boost future earnings for students by as much as 30 percent.
 
“But many students are unable to enroll in them because they can’t afford the up-front costs. So we will end restrictions on federal Pell grant money for short-term training programs. That will make a big difference. We’ll also restore access to Pell grants for those in prison so that they can return to their communities ready to make a living and support their families and stay out of that turnstile justice that leads people down a slippery slope from which they never recover. 
 
“Community colleges were an essential part of spreading opportunity in New York. We created a program that doubled the graduation rate for low-income students – and that’s why President Obama embraced it and helped other cities create similar programs.
             
“I will do something else that's been proven to work almost immediately. Sometimes the best education comes from on-the-job training – but right now there are very few apprenticeships in the United States. Apprenticeships have been proven to work in countries like Germany, and England, and Switzerland. There, you go to work for the company and they train you because what do they get out of it? They get great employees who they know and who know their systems. 
 
“Here in the United States, we do have an apprentice program. It’s tiny and it doesn’t work very well. 
 
“We will dramatically scale that up. The effort to increase apprenticeships across the country can also be helped by subsidizing wages to give employers more incentive to opt in. The objective is to create a million of them every year by the year 2030, and I think we can do that. 
 
“This will be good for workers who get training and experience and will open doors for their careers. And it will be good for employers who will have more access to more employees who can do the jobs that they need. We’ve got to make sure that the employers benefit out of all of these programs as well or they’re not going to be here, and then the jobs that we want to train people for aren’t going to exist. 
 
“Helping American workers adjust to the changing economy also means making sure they have the flexibility to take care of their family and themselves. I will work to guarantee paid sick leave and paid family leave for all workers, just as we do at my company. At my company, one of the things that we’ve done is give 26 weeks of maternity or paternity or caregiver care, which makes a big difference. 
 
“And as president, I will support the right of all workers to organize and bargain collectively if they so wish, including gig, contract, and franchise employees.
 
“Now, I know a lot of presidential aspirants say they’re going to create good jobs. But for me, creating good jobs is not something I just talk about. It’s something I’ve spent my whole career doing. First working for somebody else, then with my own company, then for the City of New York. 
 
“Others shake their fists and point to scapegoats and make promises that they can’t deliver on. I think we’ve had enough of that. I believe we need a President who’s actually done it – and who knows how to get things done. That’s the job of being president. And that’s the message I think we need to replace Donald Trump.
 
“He’s counting on the economy to lift him to victory – and he’s hoping to face a career politician who’s never created any jobs. Well let me tell you, I’m going to take him on over the economy – and I won’t let him get away with selling the American people more empty promises.
 
“So I hope you’ll join me because this really is an election that we cannot afford to lose. Thank you, and I look forward to having the chance to meet and talk with you.
 
“Just remember, this is the most wonderful country in the world. We have young men and women overseas trying to make sure that we don’t lose that. We should make sure that we don’t lose it domestically. 
 
“God bless and thank you.”