Mantella, Peters hope Trump addresses lifelong learning in State of the Union address

While President Donald Trump is expected to talk about immigration, border security and criminal justice reform in his second State of the Union address, Grand Valley President-elect Philomena Mantella said she hopes the president also touches on lifelong learning.

Mantella will attend the State of the Union on February 5 as a guest of U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.). 

Mantella said lifelong learning is an investment the nation needs to make to ensure the development of talent and sustained economic vibrancy of the region and state.

"At this time in our state and in our nation where the workforce is changing dramatically, lifelong learning models need to be a part of our lexicon in education," Mantella said. "We need to be ready to educate students in a way that they’ll be agile and be able to move as the workforce shifts."

She also said students will need to have opportunities to continue their education throughout their lives, whether in-person or virtually, in order to acquire new skills to adapt to new jobs and a changing world.

Sen. Peters agreed, calling lifelong learning "a fundamental issue."

"We have to be thinking about this issue. We can’t just be focused on whatever the shiny object is today," Peters said. "If we do that and forget about the world four, five, or 10 years from now, we would be doing a huge disservice to the American people and the people of Michigan."

Mantella said she hoped Trump would address the importance of education as an economic driver.

"I'll be looking for education to come across with a wide aperture lens, in terms of how it can influence young people in their development, but also how it can influence the health and prosperity of our businesses and industries in Michigan," Mantella said.