President Trump signed an executive order creating a nationwide training initiative for encouraging and directing training resources to help address the critical shortage of skilled workers.

Called the National Council for the American Worker, the goal is to use training to help fill at least 1.7 million jobs that are currently going unfilled due to the dearth of workers who have the appropriate skills to step in and do the work.

This growing need was created by the booming economy that has led to virtually full employment, with unemployment last reported at 3.9%. Many employers have jobs like truck driving that they can’t fill because of a lack of skilled candidates.

Also, it is hoped that the council will fill a void created by the unbalanced emphasis on selling young people and their parents on the importance of obtaining a college degree instead of training to acquire marketable technical skills.

The new advisory group is charged with developing an organized, nationwide program that will encourage training workers, grow apprenticeship efforts and boost investments in these resources The goals also include creation of a national campaign to raise awareness of the value of training and urgency of the skills crisis.

“Every day we are lifting our forgotten Americans off the sidelines, out of the margins and back into the workforce,” the President said at the Executive Order signing ceremony.

“My Administration will champion effective, results-driven education and training so that American students and workers can obtain the skills they need to succeed in the jobs of today and of the future,” he added.