President Obama Addresses Cities: ‘You’ve Got the Power’ to Train, Hire Workers of Tomorrow
By Mae Marie, Close-Up Media Staff Writer
President Obama on Monday addressed the National League of Cities (NLC) Congressional City Conference in Washington, issuing a call to action for cities, higher education and the private sector to boost access to high-tech jobs in communities across the country.
Addressing the more than 2,000 city leaders and delegates, President Obama said, "You don't have a lot of time for gridlock. You've got to get the job done." He added, "People are expecting you to deliver. And you're part of the reason why America is coming back."
Called TechHire, the new initiative is a multi-sector effort to empower Americans with the skills they need to compete in a 21st century economy. The initiative includes universities and community colleges but also nontraditional approaches such as "coding bootcamps" and high-quality online courses that can rapidly train workers for a well-paying job, often in just a few months.
"Success is going to rest on folks like you -- on mayors, councilmembers, local leaders -- because you've got the power to bring your communities together and seize this incredible economic development opportunity that could change the way we think about training and hiring the workers of tomorrow," said President Obama, referring to TechHire.
The TechHire initiative builds on work communities like Louisville, St. Louis, Philadelphia, New York City and the State of Delaware are doing to connect more Americans to well-paying technology jobs through a combination of new tools and training models.
Other communities responding to the President’s call-to-action include Colorado, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Memphis, Rural Eastern Kentucky, Nashville, Rochester, Detroit, San Francisco, Albuquerque, Chattanooga, Portland and City of Kearney and Buffalo County, NE.
The Administration also has announced its commitment to make $100 million available through the Department of Labor to support innovative approaches to moving lower skilled workers with barriers to training and employment on the fastest paths to well-paying information technology and high growth jobs in industries like healthcare, advanced manufacturing, financial services and other in-demand sectors.
In a release, the NLC noted it has worked in partnership with the Obama Administration to change the federal government's approach to better match city needs. "President Obama helped America's cities rise from the ashes of the Great Recession, build transit and roads, protect the health of our residents, and improve the lives of our young people," said NLC President Ralph Becker, mayor, Salt Lake City, Utah.
The National League of Cities and its member cities have partnered with the Administration on programs including Let's Move! Cities, Towns & Counties and My Brother's Keeper Community Challenge. In addition, NLC has productive formal partnerships with the Departments of Education, Interior and Housing and Urban Development.
The National League of Cities is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.
More information:
http://www.nlc.org
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/technology/techhire
((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))
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Alexandra Scarborough
Gilt and Sarah Jessica Parker Unveil SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker Bridal Collection for SpringSarah Jessica Parker, in partnership with Gilt, kicked off the exclusive launch of SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker Bridal, Gilt’s first foray into bridal ready-to-wear that would have Carrie Bradshaw swooning.
The collection includes dresses, skirts, bodysuits and other pieces, ranging in price from $295 to $2,395 and from sizes 0 to 14.
"Collaborating with Gilt on my first bridal ready-to-wear collection was an opportunity I couldn't pass up," said Sarah Jessica Parker. "The team there is brilliant and allowed me to be imaginative and take risks as I was designing for the non-traditional bride. It has been quite fun to play around with colors, fabrics and details to create unique pieces for all kinds of brides." The collection, comprised of ten styles, is inspired by Parker's vision of a modern, non-traditional bride, and is designed to dress a woman for a variety of wedding milestone moments; from her bridal shower through her wedding reception. Styles offered are a unique mix of classic dresses and gowns, modern bodysuits, full skirts, and a jumpsuit. The color palette includes traditional bridal white, sleek black, plus pops of blush, poppy, light gray and blue.
Designed in collaboration with Gilt, the collection was produced in New York City utilizing fabrics like cashmere and stretch crepe sourced from Spain, Italy and France.
The pieces all feature carefully curated details like elegant bows, sophisticated cutouts, feathers, intricate embroidery and beautiful hand-stitched beading.
The actress and style icon is no stranger to chic bridal wear. Carrie Badshaw, famously played by Parker, took part in an elaborate bridal photo shoot in Sex and the City: The Movie. The shoot featured gowns from designers like Christian Lacroix and Lanvin. Parker famously wore a black wedding gown for her own wedding to Matthew Broderick in 1997.
"Not only is Sarah Jessica Parker's style known around the world, her point of view is one-of-a-kind," says Tom Ott, Chief Merchant of Gilt. "Sarah Jessica brings her impeccable taste and fashion sensibility to life in this collection. We think our customers will be delighted with the offering which is stylish and well-priced in the bridal category."
As part of the bridal launch, Gilt will also offer 15 exclusive styles from the SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker footwear line, each of which are complementary to the bridal collection.
To correspond with the bridal collection launch, Gilt City will present offers from some of Sarah Jessica Parker's favorite places in New York City.
The offers were each chosen as a way to help brides plan for and celebrate the big day with highlights including, Leather Spa, Lars Nord Studio Tailoring, Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery, among others.
More Information:
http://www.Gilt.com/SJP -
Alexandra Scarborough
Tea Forté Introduces ‘Matcha’ CollectionConvenience meets tradition in Tea Forté’s new Ceremonial Matcha Bowl Set and the Matcha Single Steeps.
The company said its spring harvested, shade grown, stone ground, organic matcha tea is best served in a centuries-old Japanese tea ceremony called chanoyu: a preparation technique known for its centering meditative qualities.
"The launch of Tea Forté's Matcha collection represents our continued commitment to wellness and cultivating all the potential mental and physical health benefits of tea," says Tea Forté CEO Michael Gebrael. "In addition to our high quality Pure Matcha, we've also blended four distinct flavored Matcha varieties. Prepackaged in pouches measured out for a single serving, our Single Steeps Matcha is ideal for the office, travel, or to keep with you for a boost anytime."
Tea Forté noted its handcrafted ceremonial tea bowl, handmade bamboo whisk and measuring ladle “encourages serene enjoyment of our premium Kosher, gluten-free and vegan matcha blends.” These include: Pure Matcha, Chocolate Matcha, Coconut Matcha, Ginger Matcha, and Chai Matcha.
According to a release, in addition to its distinctive taste, matcha is prized for its health benefits. Steeped green tea contains only the antioxidants that can be extracted in water, while with matcha, the whole leaf is consumed.
Available now in select stores and online at teaforte.com.
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Expedia.com has released a year-end look at U.S. traveler behavior and trends for 2017, analyzing data to identify the most in-demand destinations, hotels, activities and more.
Among other insights, the roundup revealed:
- Labor Day was the busiest weekend for car rental
- Disney Theme Parks topped the list of things to do
- The average hotel stay was two nights
- Top destinations based on 2017 air travel included major global cities like New York, London and Bangkok
- Popular tourist destinations included Orlando, Cancun and Las Vegas