Catherwood LibraryILR School

In a speech to students at North Carolina State University, President Obama announced the creation of the first of several manufacturing institutes, which the University will be a part of. The high-tech manufacturing institutes will create partnerships between job seekers, institutions of higher education, and private businesses to create jobs and move American manufacturing into the future. Partners in the 5-year, $70 million project include the Department of Energy, North Carolina State University, John Deere, and Delphi. Some Republicans have pushed the president to pursue construction of the Keystone XL pipeline in lieu of diverting federal spending to creating the manufacturing institutes. The president plans to establish 3 such institutes, modeled somewhat after a similar one in Germany, using funds which are already under executive authority so no congressional approval is required.