Sec. of State Mike Pompeo and Ivanka Trump to visit Wichita Thursday

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump are set to visit Wichita on Thursday.

Trump tweeted a photo Wednesday night of her arrival in Wichita with Pompeo and Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas.

"Brilliant innovators such as Walter Beech & Clyde Cessna established this city as the hub for aircraft making during the early half of the 20th Century," she wrote. "100 yrs later, Wichita remains a leader worldwide in aviation manufacturing!"

Thursday, Trump and Pompeo will first visit WSU-Tech National Center for Aviation Training for a tour and roundtable. Dr. Sheree Utash, President of WSU Tech and Vice President of Workforce Development at Wichita State University, is a member of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board co-chaired by Ivanka Trump and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

The Board is made up of business, education, government, and not-for-profit leaders who provide recommendations on how to ensure American workers remain the best workforce in the world.

After the roundtable, a group of Wichita-based aviation companies will sign the Pledge to America’s Workers, including Spirit AeroSystems, the largest employer in the state of Kansas. The Pledge to America’s Workers is a White House initiative that boasts pledges from over 360 companies who have so far committed to over 14 million new or enhanced career and job training opportunities for American workers.

After the signing, the Secretary and Advisor Trump will visit Textron Aviation for a tour and meet and greet with Textron Aviation employees who have benefited from Textron’s Pledge to America’s Workers commitment of 22,240 opportunities.

Textron is one of 360 companies taking part in the White House mission to hire and train millions or workers over the next five years.

The Textron Aviation opportunities have been realized largely through the Aviation Pathway partnership with WSU Tech.

The program is a high school aviation curriculum, where students have the opportunity to receive their high school diploma and technical certificate in Aviation Production or Aviation Maintenance upon graduation. The classes take place at WSU Tech’s National Center for Aviation Training, and the students are guaranteed an interview with both Textron Aviation and Spirit AeroSystems upon completion.

"We are just beyond A. thrilled and B. honored to have (Pompeo) on campus, as well as adviser Ivanka Trump," WSU Tech Executive Director for Strategic Communications Andy McFayden says. "It's just going to be another opportunity for us to continue amplifying the importance of the model we've built here and the aviation industry."