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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — A week after her husband visited the state, the first lady was in the Piedmont Triad.
Jill Biden visited Forsyth Technical Community College on Friday to discuss the Biden administration’s economic policies and how they’ve helped people across the country. This message is similar to what the president discussed when he visited Raleigh last week, where he discussed the money invested in North Carolina and highlighted new jobs coming to the area.
These visits send the message that the Biden reelection campaign wants to make North Carolina a priority in the 2024 election.
Biden arrived at Smith-Reynolds Airport a little after 11 a.m. alongside National Science Foundation director Sethuraman Panchanathan and was greeted by Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines, Governor Roy Cooper and Forsyth County Chair Don Martin.
She spoke at Forsyth Tech “to highlight how the President’s Investing in America agenda is strengthening workforce training programs and preparing students for good-paying jobs in North Carolina,” according to the White House.
The NSF is announcing $30 million in investments for North Carolina, “which were made possible by the CHIPS and Science Act to support U.S. regions that are building new industries and creating jobs using cutting-edge science,” according to the White House.
A packed biotechnology lab was full of hope for a better tomorrow. Industry leaders, teachers and students talked about how they can make life better for people suffering from kidney disease, cancer and other chronic conditions.
Biden says as a life-long educator, she knows it starts with the students but takes an entire community.
“We want to start young. We want to start early because that is when you form the impression … At the same time, what we want to do is we want to change the mold from a workforce perspective. We want to have people doing all kinds of internships, fellowships. We want to make the region very vibrant in career development,” said Russel Read, the National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce executive director.
About 30 percent of the workforce at ProKidney, a biotech company in Winston-Salem, are graduates of FTCC. One day, their work could changes lives.
“We are doing a trial. We are now taking cells that we have developed and actually putting them in FDA approved trials in order to prevent or avoid dialysis for a lot of people in the world who have type 2 Diabetic chronic kidney disease,” said Joseph Stavas, the ProKidney senior vice president.
The projects of tomorrow start with students today.
“It doesn’t matter what age you are … We should have the young people learn about it but also if people are thinking about a new career, this is a great opportunity,” Biden said.
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“Innovations everywhere, and opportunities everywhere,” Panchanathan said when describing the gravity of the investment into the scientific field.
Biden also got the opportunity to meet a Forsyth County high schooler studying biotechnology at FTCC. The program coordinator of the biotechnology program also spoke, thanking Biden for the investment and support of the program.
“These are great, interesting careers of the future,” Biden said, thanking those gathered in the room with her.
