One of the most highly watched, critiqued, criticized, dissected, and analyzed television moments of the entire year is the president’s State of the Union address.

This from the president of the United States is meant to update the populace on current events, and actually stems from the U.S Constitution: “The President ‘shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient,” (Article II, Section 3, Clause 1).

And regardless of your position on the political spectrum, the address is worth watching simply for highlights of the past year in America, and some sort of expectation for what’s to come. As we’ve discussed on the blog before, President Obama has been vocal about issues in manufacturing in the past, so we were curious to see how issues of the skills gap and manufacturing growth would be mentioned in this year’s address. Here are some of the highlights from last night’s speech (for a fully annotated version, click through .)

Graduation Rates Continue to Grow: “We believed we could prepare our kids for a more competitive world. And today, our younger students have earned the highest math and reading scores on record. Our high school graduation rate has hit an all time high. More Americans finish college than ever before.” In Nebraska, thanks to fantastic public school districts, community colleges, and universities, there are unprecedented opportunities for education. Take a look at the full list of our partners in education to learn more about any of these institutions.

Active Work to Employ Veterans: “And as a new generation of veterans comes home, we owe them every opportunity to live the American Dream they helped defend. We’re making it easier for vets to translate their experience and training into civilian jobs.” There are so many different careers in manufacturing that directly correlate to skills and expertise that military veterans already have. There are also some employers in Nebraska that have been particularly recognized for hiring veterans. This is a continuous effort, though: to match the amount of veterans returning home with jobs that are right for them.

Manufacturing Helping Lower Unemployment: “Since 2010, America has put more people back to work than Europe, Japan, and all advanced economies combined. Our manufacturers have added almost 800,000 new jobs. Some of our bedrock sectors, like our auto industry, are booming.” In Nebraska, there are positions that are open and being continually added at manufacturers throughout the state. Even a quick look at InternNE or the Nebraska Department of Labor makes it clear that 99% of the time, those who hope to work in manufacturing are able to do so.

Want to learn more about any of these issues at work in our state? Keep checking back to learn how Nebraska is playing their part in the state of the Union.

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photo credit: via