Bullock talks job creation at summit here

Presidential candidate Montana Gov. Steve Bullock stopped by Whitefish on Tuesday as part of the National Governors Association’s Good Jobs for All Americans summit.

The summit focused on helping Americans adapt to changes in technology and the economy through workforce retraining and creating “good jobs.”

“Ultimately there’s two paths ahead of us,” Bullock said. “One where we’re able to capitalize on new technology, increase productivity, improve our standards of living and create new ways of upward mobility for the average American. The other path is one rising with tensions and fear of joblessness or displacement, where the benefits of tech accrue to a few and not the many.”

The Good Jobs for All Americans initiative focuses on three main priorities — positioning state economies for future success, reskilling mid-career workers for success, and empowering the rural workforce. The summit, held at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake, included governors and business leaders focused on creating workforce solutions in their communities.

Bullock, a Democrat, is in his second term as Montana governor and last week announced his candidacy in the 2020 presidential election.

Bullock noted the stark contrast between the workforce environment he grew up in and today’s.

“I’ll never forget when I graduated from high school ... I was so excited when I got that Smith Corona electric typewriter,” he said with a laugh. “And the opportunities and what we’re now preparing, not just in high tech fields but in all fields, are fundamentally different than what I looked at in the world when I started my path.”

Bullock cited a recent study by the World Economic Forum that estimates 1.4 million workers may be displaced by technological advances in the next decade. The study puts a pricetag of $34 billion on transitioning and reskilling those workers.

He also alluded to John Maynard Keynes, a British economist who in the 1930s warned about “technological unemployment” due to a similar shift in jobs and available emerging technologies.

“We figured out a way to both embrace technology, add productivity and raise the standard of living for people all over,” he said.

“The obstacles that we all face when taking on technological, demographic and global shifts — it may seem insurmountable at times. But we’ve faced odds, and big odds, before, and through innovation and a bit of tenacity we’ve certainly overcome them.”

The governor also stressed the semantics of “Good Jobs for All Americans” versus just “Jobs for All Americans.”

The latter was the original title of the program, NGA Solutions Director Kirk Jonas said, but Bullock insisted refining the language to reflect today’s economy.

“The problem isn’t there aren’t jobs out there, the problem is too many people are working multiple jobs just to get by,” Bullock said. “I’m confident the leaders and individuals and businesses in this room have what we all need to embrace and harness to make not just jobs, but good jobs for all Americans. States fundamentally are the laboratories of democracy, the place where policy truly has an impact on every person we serve. We’re the ones who can make the differences in the lives of Americans all across our respective states.”

At the start of his speech, Bullock also praised the beauty of Whitefish and its surrounding areas and encouraged other attendees to explore Glacier National Park and other vistas nearby.

“You don’t even have to got that far to see what makes an area like this special. There’s 42 miles of trails and 12 different trailheads just dang near right out your door here. It’s both the natural beauty, the public lands we preserve, and the people that make an area like this such an incredible place to not only convene for a meeting but indeed to enjoy year round for both residents and visitors,” he said.