President Obama is hosting the first “White House Maker Faire” on Wednesday to encourage America’s students to invent, innovate and focus their intellectual energy on career paths most relevant in today’s economy. In a rare moment, the president’s touting of entrepreneurship and innovation — as well as his previous comments critical of educational studies that are either saturated or difficult to monetize — stands in line with ideas presented by members of the GOP in recent months.
In January, Senator Rob Portman, (R-Ohio), visited Ohio University to voice his support of investment in scientific research and improvement of science and math education. He said focusing federal funding and support in the areas of technology, math and science will help small businesses create jobs and in turn boost the economy.
Last year, along with democratic Senator Michael Bennet from Colorado, Portman reintroduced a bill that would link federal job training programs with local workforce boards to make the programs more effective in today’s job market.
“(This bill) makes commonsense improvements to make programs more efficient, effective, and aligned to the needs of our 21st century economy,” Bennet said of the Careers Through Responsive, Efficient, and Effective Retraining (CAREER) Act. “I look forward to continuing to work with Senator Portman in a bipartisan way to help get people back to work.”
Earlier in 2014, Senator Mike Lee, (R-Utah), introduced legislation that strives to open up educational opportunities for low-income and middle-class individuals by making higher education more affordable and targeting specific skills needed in todays economy.
“Today’s higher education system is falling behind on students’ increasingly diverse higher education needs and the resistance to change stifles the emergence of new education models than can be much more effective and affordable,” Lee explained. “The [Higher Education Reform and Opportunity] Act will open the floodgates of innovation, providing greater choice, access, and opportunity for America’s students.”
It appears Obama’s effort to push students to make and design echoes the assertions of both Portman and Lee on the topic of higher education and employment. What’s more, the president is not only praising technology, but he’s also discouraging students from more taking more traditional, expensive paths in higher education, like those to law school and art history degrees.
“We have enough lawyers, although it’s a fine profession,” Obama said during his Tumblr chat last Tuesday. “I can say that because I’m a lawyer.”
Alas, the president and Republicans agree. But can they agree to agree, and possibly join forces and do something about it?
