Remarks by the First Lady at White House Forum on Military Credentialing and Licensing

South Court Auditorium

11:11 A.M. EDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Good morning.  (Applause.)  Good morning, everyone.  Thanks so much.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Please, sit, rest.  Because we want you to do a lot of work today, so we don’t want you to wear yourselves out.
 
It is a true pleasure to be here today.  I want to start by thanking Sergeant Hall for that very kind introduction, but, more importantly, for his outstanding service to this country.  I also want to recognize Gene Sperling for his excellent work on this issue here at the White House.
 
And of course, I want to thank John Chambers and everyone at Cisco for their extraordinary leadership to create this new IT Training and Certification Program.  So let’s just take a moment to give them a round of applause for their excellent work.  Very proud, very proud.  (Applause.)  This is the kind of leadership that is going to make the world of difference to hundreds of thousands of veterans and military families across this country.
 
And finally, I want to thank all of you for taking the time.  This is a big commitment on the part of everyone in this room, to work on this issue.  Because, as you all know, we’re here today to address one of the most pressing issues we face -- not just for our veterans and our military families, but for our economy and for the future of our country.
 
You all know the numbers.  As John said, in the coming years, more than one million servicemembers will be hanging up their uniforms and transitioning to civilian life.  And that’s on top of the hundreds of thousands of veterans and military spouses already out there looking for work.
 
These folks, as you have heard, you have seen, you will continue to see -- they are some of the most highly skilled, best-trained, hardest-working, diligent, dedicated, proud, noble, smart people that we have in this country.  And believe me, I have met with hundreds of them in the course of my service as First Lady, and it has been one of the greatest privileges -- not just to work with the men and women in uniform, but with their family members who are just as outstanding.
 
They do everything.  They are medics and engineers, they're drivers, welders.  They’re folks like Sergeant Hall, with years of experience at the highest levels of our military.  And they are eminently qualified to do the very jobs that employers across this country are desperate to fill.
 
But too often, because of red tape, or outdated rules, or simple lack of coordination, our men and women in uniform come home only to find that the training and experience they’ve gotten during their time in uniform simply doesn’t count.  Or they discover that the credits that they’ve earned in military courses don’t actually transfer when they enroll in college, so they’re turned away from jobs that they’re more than qualified to do.  Or they wind up paying to do the same coursework over again, and all that training, all that education, all that expertise that they have devoted their lives to attain, it all goes to waste.
 
And this is unfair to the men and women who have served this country so bravely.  They deserve a fair shot at a good job when they come home.  But it’s also unfair to their families who have sacrificed probably more in some instances so that these men and women can do their job.  And they deserve some financial security once they return to civilian life.
 
It is also unfair to this country, because when we don’t take advantage of the skills and talents of our veterans and military spouses, jobs go unfilled and, far worse, human potential goes untapped.  And that’s bad for our economy, as we all know.
 
Now fortunately, in recent months we’ve seen leaders across this country starting to solve this problem.  We have seen dozens of governors and state legislators passing laws that clear away all the red tape so that veterans and military spouses can get the licenses they need for the jobs they’re qualified for.  And that’s really a big deal.  It’s not a small task.
 
But the truth is that changing our laws is truly just the beginning.  Because even the best laws in the world won’t make a difference until companies are actually making those job offers, schools are accepting those credits, and our veterans and military spouses are actually collecting those paychecks that they need to take care of their families.
 
So at the end of the day, whether or not we solve this problem in so many ways is up to the men and women in this room.  That’s why we’ve invited you to the White House today to participate in these roundtables.
 
So today, I hope that you will start working together to figure out where the gaps are and how we can work together to close those gaps.  If you have a program or a curriculum that’s working at your school or your hospital or your company, we really want you to share the information here.  Tell people about it.  Be proud of it.  Share your materials so that others can replicate what you’re doing in communities across this country.  Because we have to be prepared to accept our military members, our veterans and servicemembers wherever they land in this country after their service.
 
If you think there are courses or certifications that our military should be offering to better prepare members to transition, or you think they need to revise what they’re currently offering to make it more relevant, don’t be shy.  Speak up.  Let them know.  They're used to getting good, strong feedback.  (Laughter.)  They're tough.
 
We have representatives from the Department of Defense and across the federal government who have come here today for exactly that reason –- because they want to hear your thoughts and they want to learn, and grow, and develop and make sure that we’re all working together.
 
In short, today is your chance to make the connections, form the partnerships that our veterans and military families need and deserve.  And remember, it was roundtables like these that led to the creation of the IT Training and Certification Partnership that we are announcing today.  It was this kind of work that led to this initiative.  And I hope you all will use this partnership as a model, because it is an outstanding example of what can happen when industries come together with our armed forces on behalf of our veterans.
 
As you’ve heard, this new partnership will provide up to 161,000 servicemembers with the chance to gain the certifications they need for 12 different high-demand, high-paying technology careers -– everything from IT security analysts to computer programmers to quality assurance engineers.
 
And that’s exactly the kind of impact that we’re aiming for through these conversations today.  And I also just want to say that this isn’t going to be a one-and-done kind of event.  This is the beginning.  We have directed federal agencies to host a series of follow-up meetings with the goal of creating partnerships in all four of the areas that we’re focusing on today.
 
Again, this is just the beginning.  Because once we’ve made it easier for veterans and military spouses to get the jobs they deserve, we need to make sure that companies are actually creating those jobs.  And that’s why tomorrow, here at the White House, we will be announcing groundbreaking commitments by companies across this country to hire even more of our veterans and military spouses.
 
And a thing I will say, because this is a commitment that comes from the top and it comes from our hearts:  We are not going to stop until all of our veterans and all of our military families have good jobs -- the good jobs they deserve, the good jobs that they've earned, jobs that will help them build their careers and create a better future for their children.
 
We're not going to stop.  Because in the end, that’s really what this is all about.  In the end, if we keep on working together and building these public-private partnerships, then I know that we’ll be able to serve our veterans and military families as well as they have served this country.  And that's what it's all about.
 
We are so proud of them, but we're also proud of the work that our companies have done, the way people have been stepping up without question.  It's going to take a little more work because we've got millions of people to employ, but I am confident that these kind of roundtables will move the ball forward.
 
So I thank you all again, and I wish you good luck and hard work today as we continue the work of utilizing the resources of our military and their families.  Thank you all.  God bless.  Good luck.  (Applause.)
 
END
11:21 A.M. EDT

Remarks by the First Lady at the Department of the Interior

Washington D.C.

11:14 A.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Good morning!  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  It's great to see you.  It's great to be back.  (Applause.)  You all can rest yourselves.  You work hard enough.  It is a real pleasure to be back here with you guys. 

As Secretary Jewell mentioned, I was here four years ago when we first came into office.  And one of the things that I wanted to do was to visit the agencies and learn more about what you all were doing, to shine a spotlight on the work that you all were doing; to make sure that the people of this country understand what it means to be part of Interior, the work you do; to make sure people understand what the federal government was doing; but most of all, to thank you for the work that you've done. 

And now that we're starting this second term, what better way to begin than revisiting all of you.  Because now, as I mentioned to Secretary Jewell, we have real, meaningful partnerships.  Over the last four years, we've done some incredible work together. 

But I'm not going to talk long because I'm really here to say hello and to thank you, but I want to start by thanking Secretary Jewell not just for her very kind introduction, but agreeing to serve as the 51st Secretary of the Interior.  (Applause.)  Yes, indeed.  And I know that she hasn't been here long, but she's already making an impression.  We are so proud to have her.  We hear glowing reports.  She is an example of everything that this agency stands for, and we're grateful for her leadership. 

And I'm looking forward to seeing all the wonderful things she's going to do to expand on the partnerships, to build on the efforts that have been going on.  We are grateful to Ken Salazar.  We will miss him.  But in Secretary Jewell, we have a wonderful replacement, and we're just thrilled to have her.

I also want to recognize Willie for his tremendous service -- you're over there somewhere.  (Laughter.)  And I'd like to see that uniform with all the buttons and medals and all that stuff.  You seem very mild-mannered; I didn’t know you were a superhero under that suit.  (Laughter.)  But thank you so much for your tremendous service. 

But most of all, I want to say thank you to all of you for everything you're doing every single day on behalf of this country.  Thank you for putting us on the path to energy independence, which helps grow our businesses and create wonderful jobs.  Thank you for building strong nation-to-nation relationships with tribes across Indian Country.  Thank you for protecting our most precious natural resources, and preserving our parks and monuments for the next generation and generations to come. 

And I just want to add that one of the neatest things that we get to do is to travel around to the national parks.  And we've tried to make it a point to -- as the First Family to visit many of the parks when we're on vacation, or when we're driving through the country or a community.  And I will just reiterate what this country already knows:  We have some of the most outstanding national parks in the world.  (Applause.)   Absolutely. 

And I would encourage everyone to travel to our parks this summer in particular.  It's a wonderful way to spend time with your families.  It's a great way to learn about the history of this country.  The rangers are amazing.  Their stories in and of themselves -- if you ever talk to a national park ranger, they're fascinating people.  They're usually -- they've done something interesting, and then they wound up in a park.  They're very neat people, and we've been honored to get a chance to get to know them. 

But we do this because of our kids.  It's so important for us to expose our kids to the many resources that are right here in this country.  You don't have to travel abroad to see some of the most beautiful, gracious places that the world has to offer.  And I want to thank you, because more than anything else, that's really what I think about when I think about what you all do. 

I think about our next generation.  I think about everything you're doing to ensure that all of our children have safe, clean, beautiful places to learn and grow and explore.  Because when kids develop that appreciation and that connection early, what you all know is that it's lasting, it's enduring, it's something that they can have for their lifetime and hopefully can pass on to their own kids as well.

So what you all are doing here isn’t just vital for our economy -- that’s important to note.  It’s not just the key to preserving our environment.  What you do here at Interior is absolutely critical for our children’s health and wellbeing. 

And as Secretary Jewell mentioned, and as many of you know, this is an issue, children’s health, that is near and dear to my heart, not just as First Lady but as a mother.  That’s why I was so thrilled and am so thrilled to work with so many of you to launch Let’s Move Outside to help our young people enjoy the great outdoors and to find that that’s a very inexpensive, accessible way to get active and moving, and to do things as a family and to learn.

And I also am very proud to have worked with you to launch Let’s Move in Indian Country.  Through this initiative, together we are working to ensure that the American Indian and Alaska Native children get the nutritious food and physical activity that they need to grow up to be healthy and active individuals. 

Because ultimately, we know that being active and enjoying the great outdoors isn’t just good for our children’s physical health.  What you all know is that it’s also good for their emotional health.  It can affect their success in school, and ultimately their success in life.  So what you all are doing here at Interior couldn’t be more important -- couldn’t be more important to me personally, but couldn’t be more important to this entire nation. 

But I also know that the work that you do isn’t easy, especially right now during these times.  I know that budget cuts mean that you all are juggling even more responsibilities with fewer resources.  And I know that many of you are stretched thinner than ever before. 

So that’s one of the reasons why it’s just as important for me to be here at the start of this term as it was to be here four years ago, because I want you to know how much Barack and I truly appreciate everything that you do.  And I know you don’t hear that.  People don’t even know you exist.  (Laughter.)  It’s so true.  I mean, federal workers are this invisible face.  No one knows what they do, what it means, how much they benefit us. 

So on behalf of myself and the President and the first family, I want to say thank you.  Thank you, thank you.  I want you know how proud we are of all that you do.  We want you to know how grateful we are to your families, for the sacrifices that you make oftentimes to do what you do. 

So hang in there.  And know that what you do is extremely important.  Hang in there.  We need you.  This country needs you.  Our children need you. 

So I want to end the same way that I started by just saying you guys are terrific.  Don’t get tired.  You can get a little frustrated -- (laughter) -- but just keep doing what you do every single day, because it means the world to the millions of kids who may not have access to some of these places if it were not for the work that you do. 

Just think about all the kids who will never get to see a mountain or a freshwater stream, or get to camp outside and see the stars.  The resources that you provide are open to every child in this country, and because of the work that you do, they will have those resources for the rest of their lives.

So just know that it is critical and we are grateful.  And with that, I’m going to stop talking, come down and shake some hands.  You all take care.  (Applause.)

END
11:23 A.M. EDT