New White House Campaign Encourages Unemployed Americans To ‘Find Something New’

A new White House-backed ad campaign called “Find Something New” encourages Americans to explore new career fields as the COVID-19 pandemic ravages the U.S. economy and causes unemployment to surge.

A new website, called findsomethingnew.org, provides information on “rising careers” such as contact tracers, electricians, web developers and registered nurses. The website details the average salary for these careers, based on Labor Department statistics, and highlights certification programs for individuals to enter these fields. The site also features testimony from people who found new careers with the help of apprenticeships and vocational training.

The campaign was launched by the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, which is co-chaired by White House Adviser Ivanka Trump and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. The Ad Council, Apple, IBM and other businesses are also involved in the campaign.

“There has never been a more critical time for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to be aware of the multiple pathways to career success and gain the vocational training and skills they need to fill jobs in a changing economy,” Ivanka Trump said about the initiative.

“IBM is proud to support the Find Something New campaign as part of our commitment to ensuring that the Digital Era is inclusive and one in which Americans from all socioeconomic backgrounds can participate in the modern economy," IBM Executive Chairman Ginni Romnetty said.

The Trump administration has previously promoted vocational education, with President Trump signing an executive order in 2017 to expand apprenticeships. The “Find Something New” campaign comes as unemployment surges to double-digits amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The economy was fairly strong in the early stages of the U.S. COVID-19 outbreak, with 273,000 jobs added in February and the unemployment rate falling to 3.5%. In April, most states had already implemented stay-at-home orders to prevent the spread of infection, with a record 20.5 million jobs lost during that month and unemployment soaring to 14.7%.