ICYMI: U.S.

ICYMI: U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Returns to South Bend, IN, Highlights Jobs for Skilled Workers Created by Investing in America Agenda

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited South Bend, IN, where he served as mayor from 2012 to 2020, to tour a union training facility, meet with union workers and apprentices, and check in on transit improvements in Northern Indiana. Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, tens of thousands of projects are in development and creating jobs now, with project completion rolling out in the years and decades ahead.

Secretary Buttigieg began the visit to South Bend with a tour at the South Bend Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (SBJATC), part of IBEW 153. During the tour, union leaders and apprentices demonstrated electrical skills students learn as part of their training.

he Secretary then sat down with apprentices for a roundtable conversation, where he heard how students got into the trade, and students shared how their apprenticeships are setting them up for rewarding careers.

After the roundtable, Secretary Buttigieg provided short remarks at the IBEW training facility before joining South Bend Mayor James Mueller for a conversation to highlight public and private sector investments in Northern Indiana that are increasing job opportunities and economic development in the area. During the fireside chat, Secretary Buttigieg pointed out that thanks to these investments, there is more demand than ever for skilled tradesmen and women, and our nation is relying on them as we move into the future.

Watch Secretary Buttigieg’s full remarks here and see a transcript of his remarks here.

Secretary Buttigieg also stopped by the South Bend train station, where he said hello to South Shore Line conductors and leadership before boarding the South Shore Line to Chicago. During the ride, Secretary Buttigieg saw the new double track segment of the South Shore Line — a project made possible by funding from USDOT and the Biden-Harris Administration that’s decreased commuting time and improved the passenger experience between Chicago and South Bend.

See below to see what they’re saying about the Secretary’s visit:

South Bend Tribune: Buttigieg returns home to celebrate Biden administration investments and local growth
“It’s been a historic opportunity to modernize our nation’s roads, bridges, airports and so much more,” Joe Gambill, training director for Local 153, told a group of about 150 gathered to listen to a chat involving former South Bend Mayor Buttigieg and his successor, James Mueller. “The IBEW and building trades have seen a huge change in our area,” Gambill said. “We have over 38 projects that qualify under this law. The largest is our GM battery plant, and this has led to multiple data services moving into our area.”

WVPE: Buttigieg touts Biden job creation as he nears term end
“Over the next year, Local 153 training director Joseph Gambill said the local is scheduled to work 38 projects funded by Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. That will require over 2.7 million labor hours over the next 12 months, breaking their old record by almost 700,000 hours.”

ABC57: Buttigieg visits South Bend in final days as Secretary of Transportation
In a roundtable with apprentices, Buttigieg asked what got them into the field. “He wanted to know our stories and how we got into the program. And I think that’s really important to share with everybody, especially people like us,” said 2nd-year apprentice Roxanna Hernande

WNDU: Pete Buttigieg returns to South Bend to tout job creation, infrastructure law
“I would not have believed you if you told me back when I was mayor that there would be a multi-billion-dollar automotive industry investment in St. Joe County, I would have said that’s the kind of thing that ended in 1963, and here we are,” Buttigieg said.

Inside Indiana Business: Buttigieg praises BIL for South Bend infrastructure, employment growth
“Much of what President Biden has been trying to do is create a new generation of work and opportunity through the infrastructure work we’ve been doing and the industrial strategy that has led to things like the Amazon facility, the EV facilities, that are going up across Indiana,” he said.

South Bend Tribune: Buttigieg visits South Bend on Wednesday, meets with union members. Here’s what to know.
“Joseph Gambill, the IBEW facility’s training director, said there are currently 268 apprentices enrolled in the program, but that number is expected to grow to around 500 in the next few years. He credited Buttigieg and Biden’s administration for the program’s growth.”

South Bend NBC (WNDU): Pete Buttigieg takes ride on the South Shore Line, praises double track expansion
“So excited to be able to experience for myself the new and improved South Shore Line,” Buttigieg said. “Mike Noland, the director of the South Shore, was reminding me we met and talked about this 10 years ago, and it was just a vision then. And now to see that ride to Chicago reduced to two hours and with the potential to be made even shorter is such a great example of what federal dollars can do, and we’re proud that the Biden infrastructure package played a role in that.”

South Bend NBC (WNDU): Joshua Short sits down with Pete Buttigieg
“He met with electricians in training to talk about the pipeline of good paying jobs being created by the Biden administration’s bipartisan infrastructure package.”

South Bend CBS (WSBT): Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg talks with WSBT’s Bob Montgomery about future, GM
“The former South Bend mayor told a roundtable of these apprentices he’s excited to see the type of work in our region that will impact future technologies.”

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