Flanked by state, local and federal officials, first lady Jill Biden stressed community colleges’ role in workforce development during a visit to Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno on Wednesday.

Part of a three-day trip touring and speaking at community colleges, community health clinics and local businesses in the West, Biden’s visit to Nevada highlighted efforts of the American Rescue Plan to invest in community colleges and develop the American workforce.

Her brief remarks followed a tour of the community college’s facilities and meetings with students in the nursing and public safety programs. The visit came as the nation’s economy has been roiled by forces both external and internal, with rapid job growth routinely overshadowed by rising inflation and skyrocketing gas prices. 

“I’ve seen what building a better America means for real families,” Biden said. “It means investing in our workforce so they can be ready for the future. And it means working families have the opportunity to train for great jobs.”

Touting the American Rescue Plan — by far the largest of the Biden administration’s handful of  first year achievements — the first lady said the federal funding provides a way to address a “critical” shortage of health care workers and other industries.

“When we invest in our students, you invest in your family and then you invest in your neighborhoods and then you invest in your communities,” Biden said. “We’re going to make sure that you can afford child care so that you can pursue your education and your career. And we’re going to create jobs even more than we already have.” 

Biden also praised her husband’s efforts on addressing the “shocking” Russian invasion of Ukraine and “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s aggression.” In the latest development of increasing economic pressure on Russia from the West, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that he would halt all U.S. imports of Russian oil. 

Read the entire article: First lady touts federal aid money in visit to Northern Nevada college

The portion of the article is shared as part of our collaboration with The Nevada Independent. This story was originally published on March 9, 2022 and written by Jacob Solis and Tabitha Mueller.