White House-backed advertising campaign urges unemployed to ‘find something new’ aims to encourage unemployed, companion website provides links to training.
‘Find Something New’ campaign has taken on a new sense of urgency with millions of Americans jobless from pandemic.
A new White House-backed advertising campaign aims to encourage people who are unemployed or unhappy in their jobs or careers to go out and “find something new”.
The opening ad in the “Find Something New” campaign beginning on Tuesday features ordinary people sharing their stories. A companion website provides links to training and other resources.
The Trump administration has long emphasised skills-based job and vocational training as an alternative to two or four-year college degree programmes, arguing that college is not for everyone and that many jobs do not require a degree.
But the long-in-the-works effort has taken on a new sense of urgency after the coronavirus outbreak cost millions of people their jobs, many of which may be lost forever.
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The campaign is a product of the White House’s American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, which President Donald Trump created in 2018. The board is co-chaired by Trump’s daughter and White House adviser, Ivanka Trump, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.
“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,” said Ivanka Trump, who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
The nonprofit Ad Council on Tuesday was announcing Find Something New, which it created in collaboration with IBM, Apple and members of the Business Roundtable, along with the White House and the workforce policy advisory board.
The initial 30-second spot features ordinary people talking about their experiences with career challenges and transitions.
Among them are a fitness instructor who completed an apprenticeship programme and became a welder after her gym went under, and a man who lost his job twice in one year, took online certification courses and now works as a tech consultant.
“I got laid off twice, but you got to keep going,” the man says, adding later on in the ad “I’m now a consultant in the tech space.”
Another woman says she had no career plan after finishing high school, but “I found a medical course online” and became a phlebotomist. “You will find something,” she says.
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The companion website offers links to education and training options, including online and virtual learning.
Additional ads are expected to be produced. All will appear nationwide across TV, digital and print platforms in time and space donated by various media companies, the Ad Council said.
Funding was provided by more than 20 corporations and organisations, including Apple, IBM and the US Chamber of Commerce.
The Ad Council declined to disclose the cost of the campaign. which will run at least through the end of the year.