Ivanka Trump is set to visit a Lockheed Martin facility in Jefferson County, Colorado next Monday, the White House announced, although did not specify which facility the First Daughter would pick for her visit - Waterton or Deer Creek.
Ivanka, who formally ditched her clothing business to fully devote herself to her duties as a presidential adviser – a position she assumed shortly after her father was sworn in in 2017 – is expected to take part in a discussion with employees of the top American aerospace and defence company, including top management figures like Chairperson and CEO Marillyn Hewson. Among the issues on the agenda are Lockheed’s workforce development and apprenticeship programmes in Colorado, a swing state since the 2016 elections.
“Our mission is straightforward; to ensure inclusive growth and opportunity in our booming economy by creating pathways for all Americans, regardless of age or background, to acquiring the skills needed to secure and retain high paying jobs”, Ivanka said in a press release ahead of the visit to the company, which is a top military contractor for the Pentagon, NSA, NASA and other federal agencies.
Ivanka was scheduled to visit Colorado in May, but the plans were scrapped due to the STEM School Highlands Range shooting that left one student killed and eight others injured.
According to the White House, Ivanka’s visit “will highlight the private sector engagement in expanding workforce development and apprenticeship opportunities for all Americans – a key component of the Trump Administration’s ‘Pledge to America’s Workers'”. The POTUS earlier declared July to be “America’s workers month”.
Last month, POTUS Trump also addressed the employment issue in America – and in Pennsylvania in particular – as part of his upcoming 2020 campaign, specifically bringing up the key “swing state”, where Sikorsky has a plant. At the time, he reported speaking to Lockheed Martin’s CEO about the plant continuing to operate despite plans to close it, “so that there is not even a little glitch in Coatesville” as “every job counts”, the president stressed. “I want Lockheed to BOOM along with it!" Trump rounded off.
According to SEC data, Lockheed Martin, headquartered in the Washington DC area, employed about 100,000 people worldwide as of December 2017. The company largely fulfils state contracts and operates in such fields as aeronautics, missiles and fire control, as well as space systems. The manufacturer of the F-22 Raptor fighter jet, it is currently working on the F-35 Lightning II and leads the international supply chain, along with also being a major contractor for designing the Orion command module.
