President Obama Speaks at Hill AFB, Announces New Job Program
OGDEN, UTAH – April 3, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) – President Barack Obama spoke to a small audience of dignitaries at Hill Air Force Base, announcing a new goal to train 75,000 workers to enter the solar industry by 2020.
“As part of this, we’re creating what we’re calling a solar ready vets program,” President Obama said. The program will be designed to train transitioning military personnel transition into jobs in the solar energy industry at 10 bases, including Hill Air Force Base.
“A lot of our men and women in uniform at some point are going to transition into civilian life,” said Obama, “and we want to make sure that after they’ve fought for our freedom they’ve got jobs to come home to. And that means working together. Not only the private sector has to work, but the government has to work to take the steps that we know will grow our economy.”
The President explained that the solar industry is adding jobs ten times faster than the rest of the economy. He added that as part of the effort, the administration will be working with states to help veterans use the post 9/11 to GI bill for solar job training.
“It’s one of the many steps that we’re taking to help nearly 700,00 veterans and military spouses get a job,” the President said.
The President said that Hill is leading by example, getting about 20 percent of it’s overall energy through renewable energy sources. He also said that this program will help grow the economy and create more opportunity for the American people.
“As a bi-product, we’re gonna make this country safer and make the planet more secure. We’re gonna make sure that the environment that we’re passing on and the incredible beauty of this state is passed on to future generations as well.”
The President toured a field of solar panels at Hill before giving remarks. The panels, on a wind-swept part of the base, were the backdrop for his speech. The tour guide for the President’s walk among the solar panels was Col. Ronald E. Jolly, Commander.
The president wrapped up his remarks at Hill at 11:07 a.m., thanking Utahns for the visit and promising to return to take in some of the state’s sites and tourism. President Obama waved goodbye from Air Force One, wheels up at 11:27 a.m.
