Apprentice 2: Trump set to focus on jobs

President Donald Trump, who became a reality television star with a show called The Apprentice, will spend a lot of time next week promoting a plan to expand apprenticeships to help companies find more skilled workers to fill jobs, the White House said.

It would be the second consecutive week in which the White House will make a push to show Mr Trump is moving ahead on his top domestic priority, jobs, in spite of investigations into whether he had anything to do with possible Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential poll.

Mr Trump has refuted those allegations, which have overshadowed his efforts to boost economic growth. Last week was branded “infrastructure week” with a series of events dealing with fixing the nation’s decrepit roads and bridges, another plank in Mr Trump’s jobs platform.

But a congressional hearing on the Russia imbroglio featuring James Comey, the FBI director Mr Trump fired, sucked up all the attention in Washington.

Next week will be “workforce development week” where the White House highlights plans to combat the skills gap. US job openings surged to a record high in April with government data showing employers struggling to find workers with the right skills.

Mr Donald Trump’s plan has been in the works for months, led by his daughter Ivanka Trump, adviser Reed Cordish, and Mr Trump’s secretaries of labor, education and commerce.