Reinvigorate America, One Tradesman At A Time

NEW YORK, March 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, March 22^nd, Mediaplanet Publishing released its highly anticipated awareness campaign, "Employing America." With the aim of educating readers about America's skilled labor gap, Mediaplanet and industry leaders joined forces to encourage Americans to do their part in rebuilding America. The publication was distributed as a digital campaign as well as a special eight-page broadsheet section within select markets of USA Today, reaching well over 3 million readers.

Closing the skills gap

"The Skills Gap is not a mystery; it's a reflection of what we value," explains Mike Rowe, Host of Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs, and CEO of mikeroweWORKS, in the publication's foreword. "And if we're serious about closing the gap, we need to reconnect with that part of our workforce. We need to reinvigorate the trades. We need to confront the stigmas and stereotypes associated with skilled labor, and let go of this absurd belief that a four-year degree is the only viable way to acquire useful knowledge."

Manufacturing in America

If every American were to spend just $64 a year on products made in the U.S., over 200,000 new jobs would be created. In a nation where the unemployment rate is still soaring, these numbers are startling. "Consumers should be concerned about buying American-made, not just because the products are safer and of higher quality, but because doing so creates jobs and minimizes our carbon footprint," says Margarita Mendoza, founder of Made in America Movement.

In collaboration with American-made toy manufacturer K'Nex, Mediaplanet has launched a social media giveaway to promote the concept of "Made in America." Readers are encouraged to submit an image of their favorite made in America product, and ten lucky readers will receive an American-made K'nex 50 Model building set. Further details on the giveaway can be found on Employing America's digital campaign website.

Mediaplanet's Campaign

In partnership with Air Products, All American Clothing, Bill Clinton, Caterpillar, Inc., Ford Motor Company, General Electric, Go Build Alabama, Haskell, IRWIN Tools, MikeRoweWORKS, The National Center for Construction Education and Research, Salary.com, SkillsUSA, Snap-on Tools, Made in America Movement and The Rodon Group/ K'nex, a call to action has been created to ensure that awareness is raised concerning the skilled labor gap.

The full report can be downloaded here.

Media contact: 
Laura Davis
(646) 922-1417
[email protected]

SOURCE Mediaplanet Publishing