The Latest: Trump: US needs ‘people with training’ for jobs

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump’s job training initiative (all times local):

3:40 p.m.

President Donald Trump says nearly two dozen companies and trade organizations are signing his pledge to provide job training and apprenticeship programs as a way to boost the U.S. economy.

Trump said Thursday at an event at the White House that the pledge will help train about 3.8 million students and workers for new jobs and rewarding careers. Some of the companies signing the pledge include IBM, Lockheed Martin and FedEx.

The president says the nation needs “people with training” to fill vacancies at a time of a low unemployment of 4 percent. He has signed an executive order creating a National Council for the American Worker and a workplace policy advisory board.

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3:30 p.m.

Apple and Boeing are among the companies that are committing to President Donald Trump to provide increased training to their workers.

Apple, the software, computer and mobile phone giant, says it will provide additional training to 10,000 people as part of its ongoing initiatives with community colleges.

Boeing, the aerospace company, says it will provide increased training and continuing education opportunities to its 100,000 U.S. employees as part of a $100 million commitment made after last year’s tax cuts.

Neither company was in attendance Thursday at the White House, where business executives signed a commitment to train workers. Walmart, Microsoft, IBM, Lockheed Martin and General Motors were among the companies that made job-training pledges.

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1:40 p.m.

President Donald Trump is pressing U.S. companies and trade associations to bolster their job training opportunities as employers search for qualified skilled workers to fill vacancies.

Trump is set to hold a White House event with corporate leaders, workers and students to promote apprenticeships, vocational opportunities and job training.

The president is asking companies and trade organizations to sign a pledge to provide the training for their workforce. Some of the companies signing the pledge include General Motors, FedEx, The Home Depot and IBM.

The pledge - along with an executive order creating a national council for U.S. workers and a workforce policy advisory board - aims to address the needs of manufacturing workers as the president has engaged in multiple trade disputes that have rattled the economy.