Last night, President Obama laid out his vision for “an economy that’s built to last.” National Skills Coalition applauds the President for making “Skills for American Workers” a central tenet of that vision and committing to train 2 million workers through a streamlined workforce system built on partnerships with businesses that are ready to hire. Read Andy Van Kleunen’s press statement responding to the President’s speech and calling for policies and investments that can make the President’s vision a reality. And read Van Kleunen’s comments in the Huffington Post’s coverage of the speech.

We hope that you will take a moment today to send a response to your local press in the form of an op-ed. The President’s plans to implement his vision for a skilled workforce will be detailed in his budget proposal, to be released on February 13. Then Congress will follow with its proposals. Now is a critical moment for the workforce development field to reinforce the President’s message, express hopes for how that vision will be implemented through the President’s budget, and call on Congress to invest in and improve—not cut—federal workforce funding.

Click here for tips on writing and submitting op-eds to your local paper. Click here for useful facts to include in your op-ed.