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White House-backed campaign pushes alternate career paths

FILE - In this June 26, 2020, file photo, Ivanka Trump speaks during a meeting with the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, in the East Room of the White House, in Washington. A new White House-backed ad campaign aims to encourage people who are unemployed or unhappy in their jobs or careers to "find something new." (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
FILE - In this June 26, 2020, file photo, Ivanka Trump speaks during a meeting with the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, in the East Room of the White House, in Washington. A new White House-backed ad campaign aims to encourage people who are unemployed or unhappy in their jobs or careers to "find something new." (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) FILE - In this June 26, 2020, file photo, Ivanka Trump speaks during a meeting with the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, in the East Room of the White House, in Washington. A new White House-backed ad campaign aims to encourage people who are unemployed or unhappy in their jobs or careers to "find something new." (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE / Associated Press 4 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – Presidential adviser Ivanka Trump on Tuesday unveiled a White House-backed national ad campaign highlighting alternative ways to start a career, an initiative targeting students, mid-career workers and the millions who are now unemployed because of the coronavirus.

Called “Find Something New,” the campaign is backed by Apple Inc. and IBM Corp. It was quickly bashed on social media as being tone deaf and inadequate for the times.

The Trump administration has long emphasized skills-based job and vocational training as an alternative to two- or four-year college degree programs for high school graduates, arguing that college isn’t for everyone and that a degree isn’t required for many jobs.

The campaign had been in the works for some time, but gained new urgency after efforts to slow the coronavirus outbreak left millions of people unemployed.

Ivanka Trump said President Donald Trump has been talking about alternate career paths since the beginning of the administration, in part because of growing automation.