The following statement is attributed to Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA), regarding the White House Office of American Innovation’s inaugural meeting of the American Technology Council:

“The takeaway from today’s meeting is the future starts now, by ignoring ideological boundaries and standing together to improve the lives of everyday Americans.

“Tech companies and the administration have overlapping priorities. Both want to ensure America and our workforce are prepared to thrive in the new economy. Innovation is the answer – from developing new, lifelong learning and apprenticeship programs to accelerating the adoption of 5G and the Internet of Things, drones, regulatory reform and self-driving cars. And both need to have an open dialogue on cybersecurity, immigration trade and tax reform to ensure the U.S. tech sector continues to lead the world, create good paying jobs, drive the economy and develop life-saving solutions.

“The next chapter in the tech industry’s and Trump administration’s relationship will come from the outcome of these meetings. Both the private sector and government need to generate ideas to transform and solve some of our country's long-term challenges such as our aging population and their mobility needs, and the evolving skills needed for success and productivity in the U.S. workforce.”

The tech sector supports more than 15 million U.S. jobs, generates $413 billion in U.S. taxes and creates $3.5 trillion in total economic output – more than 10 percent of our country’s gross domestic product. A CTA survey of tech executives reveals 86 percent will need more employees with technical skills, and 70 percent will hire more employees in the coming years.