White House Senior Advisor Ivanka Trump unveiled a White House-backed national ad campaign on Tuesday encouraging Americans currently seeking new job opportunities in a bid to kick-start the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Dubbed “Find Something New” the initiative encourages Americans who are unemployed or unhappy in their jobs or careers to seek out new opportunities. The private sector campaign, backed by The Ad Council promotes education and training opportunities for students and adults.
The 30-second campaign ad features stories from real individuals talking about their experiences with career challenges and highlights job training programs from several companies. It directs people to the interactive website with resources to help students and adults across the U.S. identify and pursue the right path for their career goals. The website provides information about rising careers to consider and a directory of resources for life services like childcare, food assistance, and internet access.
The campaign is a product of an 18-month-old effort led by the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, along with government agencies such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and private-sector companies such as high-tech firms, including Apple, IBM, Home Depot, Walmart, and others.
“This bold campaign launched by the Ad Council is the realization of great work by the White House’s Workforce Advisory Council and the Pledge to America’s Workers. There has never been a more critical time for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to be aware of the multiple pathways to career success and gain the vocational training and skills they need to fill jobs in a changing economy,” Ivanka said in a statement. “We recognize the responsibility of both the public and private sectors to invest in American workers and ensure that they are reconnected with good jobs and prepared for the future. The White House is proud to support the Ad Council through this campaign and will continue to champion all avenues that support American workers and families.”
To kick off the campaign, Ivanka participated in a virtual roundtable with Ginni Rometty, executive chairman of IBM, and Apple’s CEO Tim Cook. During the zoom call, Ivanka emphasized the skills-based job and vocational training and the need for employers to loosen its degree requirements in favor of skills-based hiring.
“We have to stop telling students and workers that this is only viable option. For too long, this country has adopted a one-size-fits-all approach. There’s overwhelming evidence that really shows this is failing too many students,” Ivanka said during the virtual roundtable. “Ultimately, we need to reform education in this country, and a lot of it starts with how we talk about it. There has never been a more critical time for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to be aware of the multiple pathways to career success and gain the vocational training and skills they need to fill jobs in a changing economy.”
Rometty thanked Ivanka for her “tireless leadership” on skills training, and touted the need for new paths to jobs and training, such as apprenticeship programs.
“It encourages all companies to adapt and embrace a skills-first hiring paradigm and that means don’t look just at a degree, but look at the skills someone has, and let them get started,” Rometty said.
The campaign is privately funded, mostly by corporations in partnership with the effort and the Ad Council.
The Find Something New campaign ad will appear nationwide in donated time and space across all platforms, including TV, digital, and print.
Ad CouncilAmerican Workforce Policy Advisory BoardAppleCoronavirusFind Something NewIBMIvanka TrumpPledge to America’s WorkersPolitical FashionTim CookWhite House
What do you think?