President Biden recognizes glaziers program as 1st in the nation as he delivers budget address at glaziers’ training center.
On Thursday, March 9, President Joe Biden delivered his budget address at the Finishing Trades Institute of the Mid-Atlantic Region (FTI-MAR) in Philadelphia, Pa. While there, President Biden applauded the glaziers’ apprentice program as being the first in the nation to confer a college degree at graduation. But he began his remarking by telling the audience he was President because of the members of District Council 21.
“I don’t know if you know this or not, the only reason I’m standing here is because when we needed help, you helped me…I’m president because of you,” President Biden said to the cheering crowd.
While laying out an overview of the budget, President Biden assured the audience he ran to grow the economy “from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down.” Attendees were particularly interested in President Biden’s line that, as his dad would say, ‘show me your budget I will tell you what you value.” The President spoke about everyone having an even shot, including unions, small businesses, and farms by lifting the burden on hard-working Americans by bringing down everyday costs. This principle can be specifically applied to the commitment of organizations like AGI, the Architectural Glass & Metal Association (AGMA), District Council 21, and the FTI-MAR.
As the President later celebrated, the glazing program within the FTI was the first program in the country to confer associate degrees on apprentices at the end of their apprenticeship. Not only do apprentices work full-time and earn a living while they earn a degree, the apprentice school is entirely self-funded out of the terms of the collective bargaining agreement between labor and management. That commitment to budget funds to education shows the value placed on investing in new technologies, new techniques, and new methods of learning to deliver accurate and timely installations.
As expected, the majority of the address focused on the larger budget priorities of the President including reducing the cost of prescription drugs, addressing reduction of home energy bills, and investing in eldercare.
Interested in listening to the speech in its entirety? Click below to watch.