Obama To Speak In Indy About Middle Class Jobs And Education

President Obama will speak at Ivy Tech in Indianapolis Friday to address how to prepare students for high paying jobs. (Photo Credit: Pete Souza/The White House)

President Obama will touch down in Indianapolis Friday to give a speech at Ivy Tech Community College, which will likely focus on training for middle class jobs.

A statement released by the White House outlines the basics of the president’s speech:

The President will travel to Indianapolis, Indiana to discuss the importance of middle class economics, including making the paychecks of working families go further, preparing hardworking Americans to earn higher wages, and keeping good, high-paying jobs in America. The President will deliver remarks at Ivy Tech Community College, which works to ensure Hoosiers are well-equipped for and connected to good-paying jobs by partnering with businesses that are creating pathways for career advancement, including leveraging apprenticeships and education benefits, and upskilling Americans.

So why did the president choose Indiana as a venue to make this speech?

Indiana has maintained its status as a manufacturing state, but as technology changed the nature of these jobs, so did the training. Updating that training and making it available to students is a priority for Governor Mike Pence this session. Pence is asking the legislature for $20 million a year to expand career and vocational training opportunities in the state, which he reiterated in testimony before a congressional committee in Washington D.C. this past Wednesday.

Obama has worked on providing more options for training, but Indiana serves as a good example of offering those opportunities to students when they are still in high school and not in the work force, searching for job opportunities.

Stream the president’s address below: