The U.S. Departments of Commerce, Labor and Education have launched a new joint initiative — SelectTalentUSA — to encourage foreign multinationals to invest in the United States and increase the quality of jobs through foreign direct investment.
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su announced the launch of the joint initiative, which aims to help foreign multinationals establish or expand operations in the U.S. by building a pipeline of skilled workers to meet growing workforce needs, according to a May 2 news release.
“Ensuring we have a well-trained workforce is critical to spurring more foreign direct investment in the United States,” Raimondo said in the release. "By connecting foreign multinationals to federal and local partnerships that train American workers, SelectTalentUSA will help encourage investment in America, create good-paying jobs and get workers the skills they need to compete and thrive."
SelectTalentUSA seeks to help foreign investors build local and state partnerships, adapt their talent-development approaches to the U.S. and leverage the country's diverse and skilled workforce, the release reported. SelectTalentUSA aligns with the Departments' efforts to promote foreign direct investment that creates good-paying jobs in America, part of the Biden-Harris administration's work to create an equitable economy for workers and families and revitalize overlooked communities.
“Improving equitable access to good jobs helps to build an economy that works for everyone," Su said in the release. "Leveraging our partnerships through SelectTalentUSA helps foreign investors establish and expand access to a skilled and diverse workforce and underscores our commitment to ensuring the U.S. retains its place among the most productive and innovative economies in the world.”
According to the release, the first year of the program will focus on the German, Swiss and Austrian markets to energize the existing cooperation with those countries and expand apprenticeships.
