Obama Touts Virtues of Tech Jobs

President Barack Obama touted his TechHire initiative (see 1503090029) Thursday during a stop in Louisville. “Right now, America has more open jobs than at any point since 2001,” Obama said. “And more than half a million openings are in tech -- nearly 2,000 here in Louisville alone. Tech jobs pay one-and-a-half times the average private sector wage.” He said the jobs are part of the road to the middle class and crucial for global competitiveness. TechHire “brings employers and local governments together to support innovative job training programs -- like online classes, coding boot camps, community college courses designed by local employers,” Obama said. He praised the participation in the initiative from eastern Kentucky and Louisville, with upwards of 20 employers involved.