Barra supports Trump STEM education initiative

DETROIT -- General Motors CEO Mary Barra is endorsing a new initiative by the Trump administration to increase support for STEM education. However, she will not attend an event here with Ivanka Trump promoting the program Tuesday.

Barra, according to a GM spokesman, is not able to attend the event with other business leaders and Trump, a White House official and daughter of President Donald Trump because of a scheduling issue.

"GM is at the forefront of the application of technology in the automotive industry and we support the president's decision to direct the Department of Education to prioritize high quality STEM and computer science," Barra said in a statement provided by the White House. "This is a great step in ensuring we are giving our kids the skills necessary for new technology jobs."

The Tuesday event follows Trump signing a memorandum Monday establishing a goal of directing $200 million in U.S. Department of Education grants annually to education programs with an emphasis in STEM -- science, technology, engineering and math -- as well as computer science, according to Crain's Detroit Business.

Barra has been supportive of STEM education. She most recently announced a Detroit chapter of Black Girls CODE, a nonprofit organization focused on promoting programming and technology to black females, with GM global head of manufacturing Alicia Boler Davis.

GM, according to the company's media website, will have committed more than $10 million by the end of the year to advance and improve STEM education. GM employees have also volunteered more than 48,700 hours to STEM-related nonprofits this year.

Other business leaders expected to attend the Tuesday event include Quicken Loans Chairman Dan Gilbert, Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson and Code.org CEO Hadi Partovi, whose nonprofit organization is dedicated to expanding access to computer science and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities.