Ivanka Trump talks America's future workforce at Consumer Electronics Show
CES chief Gary Shapiro defended her appearance after online backlash
White House presidential adviser Ivanka Trump was a keynote speaker at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday afternoon, where she talked about "why job training and workforce development is a foundational pillar of [the administration's] economic agenda."
"With over 7 million vacant jobs, rising wages and more people working than ever before, every American who wants to work can secure employment," Trump said. "We are committed to providing all Americans with pathways to great careers through skills training and vocational education."
AT CES, THE FUTURE OF TECH IS SURVEILLANCE, WHETHER BUSINESSES ADMIT IT OR NOT
"I am delighted to see CES bringing the critical issue of workforce development to the main stage," she said. "Our current and future workforce rely on the efforts of industry, academia and government to fill our workforce needs and I’m excited to discuss how the Trump administration is championing these shared goals."
Trump's keynote comes as she ramps up her fight for a federal paid parental leave policy after hosting a White House summit on the issue in December.
White House adviser Ivanka Trump speaks on Oct. 3, 2019 in Dallas, Texas, after Google announced it is committing to a White House initiative designed to get private companies to expand job training. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Trump has focused on the importance of preparing America's workforce for the future since her father became president. In October, she and Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced a new jobs initiative that is expected to create 250,000 IT-training opportunities.
Her appearance at CES is not without controversy. CES chief Gary Shapiro defended giving her a slot after online backlash.
"There's a lot of focus on jobs of the future, and certainly the keynote that I'll be doing with Ivanka Trump will be focusing on... how industry is working with government on this very important issue," Shapiro told BBC over the weekend.
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Tech analyst Carolina Milanesi criticized CES's decision in a Dec. 31 Forbes column titled "Ivanka Trump Keynoting At CES Is All That is Wrong For Women In Tech."
"The reason for my upset is rooted in the fact that there are many more women who are in tech and are entrepreneurs who could run circles around Trump on how technology will impact the future of work," Milanesi wrote.
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Other CES keynote speakers include Marc Benioff, co-CEO of Salesforce, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Delta CEO Ed Bastian.