Vance, Rubio announce launch of the Foundry School to prepare workers for U.S. manufacturing push

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. prioritize / praɪˈɔr ɪˌtaɪz / (v.) – to put someone or something first because they are the most important
    Example:

    The manager needs to prioritize customer complaints and solve the most serious problems first.


  2. endeavor / ɛnˈdɛv ər / (n.) – an effort or project to do something new, big, or difficult
    Example:

    The team worked hard to make their latest creative endeavor a success.


  3. reverse / rɪˈvɜrs / (v.) – to change a decision, action, or situation so that it goes back to how it was before
    Example:

    The new manager worked hard to reverse the company’s financial losses.


  4. reindustrialization / ˌri ɪnˌdʌs tri ə lɪˈzeɪ ʃən / (n.) – the process of bringing back factories and growing a country’s different industries again
    Example:

    Reindustrialization helped create thousands of new jobs for local workers.


  5. networking / ˈnɛtˌwɜr kɪŋ / (n.) – the activity of meeting and making connections with people who work in the same field
    Example:

    Attending job fairs is a great way to do some networking and find new career opportunities.


Article

Read the text below.

The Trump administration officially launched the Foundry School, a new nationwide training initiative aimed at preparing entrepreneurs, engineers, technicians, and industrial leaders to help revive American manufacturing.


Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance headlined the launch event at the Trump Institute of Peace in Washington.


The State Department said the program is designed to prioritize American workers, giving them the training needed to help bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. and build careers in sectors the department considers vital to national economic security.


“We woke up to the reality just a few years ago that we are suddenly, as a nation, dangerously dependent, dangerously dependent on other nations for all sorts of things that we need, not simply for our economic vibrancy, but in many cases for our national security and our very survival as a prosperous nation-state,” Rubio said.


“And so now we are involved in this endeavor across the board to try to reverse those mistakes,” he said.


Officials said the Foundry School is meant to turn recent industrial investment into jobs.


They pointed to trillions of dollars in manufacturing investment already flowing into the U.S. under the administration’s reindustrialization push, and said the new program is intended to make sure American workers—not just companies—benefit from that spending.


“We’re sending a message to all of America’s kids, both at the leadership level and those below them, that we believe in making things again and we’re going to give you the tools and the education and the networking in order to do it,” Vance said.


“Working with your hands is very much the work of the future,” he said.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Marco Rubio said that the U.S. woke up to the reality that they are now dangerously dependent on other nations for all sorts of things. In your opinion, what makes a country dangerously dependent on other countries? Why do you think this happens? Do you think it is easy to reverse? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • There are plans to revive American manufacturing. Do you think this is a good solution to the problem of being “dangerously dependent” on other nations? Why or why not? In your opinion, is it realistic for a country to produce everything it needs on its own? Why or why not? What are the main problems with relying mostly on locally made products? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • The article highlights the Foundry School, a new nationwide training endeavor aimed at preparing workers to help revive American manufacturing. If there is an endeavor like this in your country, how useful would it be? What industries in your country do you think would be good to revive or help through such an endeavor (ex. agriculture)? Discuss.
  • During the launch event of the Foundry School, Vance said, “Working with your hands is very much the work of the future.” What do you think he meant by this statement? Do you agree with him, especially today, with the rapid development of AI? Why or why not? Discuss.