AUSTIN (KXAN) – Following President Obama’s visit to Manor New Technology High School and a stop in downtown Austin, he visited Applied Materials in northeast Austin.

The company employees thousands of skilled workers, to help create technology for smartphones, LCD TVs and solar paneling.

The president arrived at Applied Materials just after 4:00 Thursday afternoon. He took a brief tour, seeing some of their high-tech machinery, before speaking to the packed room.

“Hello Austin! How ya doin?!” the president greeted the crowd.

Marianna Guajardo is a nine-year-old who was there with her mom and little sister.

“It’s like I was in the White House with him!” she exclaimed.

“We’re still shaking nervous! We shook his hand, and we got to say hi,” said Marianna’s mom, Lori Bailon.

But for Bailon, it was more than a hello or a picture she took away from the day. The dental hygiene student and mother left with a motivating message from President Obama.

“We should help our workers get the training they need to compete for the industries of tomorrow,” President Obama said, “No job in America should go un-filled just because we don’t have anybody with the right skills.”

“Number one, we’ve got to make America a magnet for good jobs. Number two, we’ve got to help people earn the skills they need to do those jobs. Number three, we’ve got to make sure people’s hard work is rewarded so they can make a decent living doing those jobs,” said the president.

Those words, encouraging to people like Bailon.

“To prepare us to be ready for the jobs that are out there, and to make us more income,” she said.

Austin, Texas–the president said–and companies like Applied Materials are models for the rest of America to follow.

“We innovate, we adapt, we move forward, that’s what Austin’s all about.”