83 FR 35099 - Establishing the President's National Council for the American Worker

Executive Office of the President

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 142 (July 24, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 142 (Tuesday, July 24, 2018)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 35099-35103]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-15955]



[[Page 35097]]

Vol. 83

Tuesday,

No. 142

July 24, 2018

Part III





The President





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Executive Order 13845--Establishing the President's National Council 
for the American Worker


                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 83 , No. 142 / Tuesday, July 24, 2018 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 35099]]

                Executive Order 13845 of July 19, 2018

                
Establishing the President's National Council for 
                the American Worker

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, and in order to provide a coordinated process 
                for developing a national strategy to ensure that 
                America's students and workers have access to 
                affordable, relevant, and innovative education and job 
                training that will equip them to compete and win in the 
                global economy, and for monitoring the implementation 
                of that strategy, it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Purpose. Our Nation is facing a skills 
                crisis. There are currently more than 6.7 million 
                unfilled jobs in the United States, and American 
                workers, who are our country's most valuable resource, 
                need the skills training to fill them. At the same 
                time, the economy is changing at a rapid pace because 
                of the technology, automation, and artificial 
                intelligence that is shaping many industries, from 
                manufacturing to healthcare to retail. For too long, 
                our country's education and job training programs have 
                prepared Americans for the economy of the past. The 
                rapidly changing digital economy requires the United 
                States to view education and training as encompassing 
                more than a single period of time in a traditional 
                classroom. We need to prepare Americans for the 21st 
                century economy and the emerging industries of the 
                future. We must foster an environment of lifelong 
                learning and skills-based training, and cultivate a 
                demand-driven approach to workforce development. My 
                Administration will champion effective, results-driven 
                education and training so that American students and 
                workers can obtain the skills they need to succeed in 
                the jobs of today and of the future.

                Sec. 2. Policy. It shall be the policy of the executive 
                branch to work with private employers, educational 
                institutions, labor unions, other non-profit 
                organizations, and State, territorial, tribal, and 
                local governments to update and reshape our education 
                and job training landscape so that it better meets the 
                needs of American students, workers, and businesses.

                Sec. 3. Establishment and Composition of the 
                President's National Council for the American Worker. 
                (a) There is hereby established the President's 
                National Council for the American Worker (Council), co-
                chaired by the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of 
                Labor, the Assistant to the President for Domestic 
                Policy, and the Advisor to the President overseeing the 
                Office of Economic Initiatives (Co-Chairs).

                    (b) In addition to the Co-Chairs, the Council shall 
                include the following officials, or their designees:

(i) the Secretary of the Treasury;

(ii) the Secretary of Education;

(iii) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;

(iv) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;

(v) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration;

(vi) the Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy 
Coordination;

(vii) the Director of the National Economic Council;

(viii) the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers;

[[Page 35100]]

(ix) the Director of the National Science Foundation; and

(x) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

                Sec. 4. Additional Invitees. As appropriate and 
                consistent with applicable law, the Co-Chairs may, from 
                time to time, invite the heads of other executive 
                departments and agencies (agencies), or other senior 
                officials in the White House Office, to attend meetings 
                of the Council.

                Sec. 5. Council Meetings. The Co-Chairs shall convene 
                meetings of the Council at least once per quarter.

                Sec. 6. Functions of the Council. (a) The Council shall 
                develop recommendations for the President on policy and 
                strategy related to the American workforce, and perform 
                such other duties as the President may from time to 
                time prescribe.

                    (b) The Council shall develop recommendations for:

(i) a national strategy for empowering American workers, which shall 
include recommendations on how the Federal Government can work with private 
employers, educational institutions, labor unions, other non-profit 
organizations, and State, territorial, tribal, and local governments to 
create and promote workforce development strategies that provide evidence-
based, affordable education and skills-based training for youth and adults 
to prepare them for the jobs of today and of the future;

(ii) fostering close coordination, cooperation, and information exchange 
among the Federal Government, private employers, educational institutions, 
labor unions, other non-profit organizations, and State, territorial, 
tribal, and local governments as related to issues concerning the education 
and training of Americans; and

(iii) working with agencies to foster consistency in implementing policies 
and actions developed under this order.

                Sec. 7. Initial Tasks of Council. Within 180 days of 
                the date of this order, the Council shall:

                    (a) develop a national campaign to raise awareness 
                of matters considered by the Council, such as the 
                urgency of the skills crisis; the importance of 
                science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
                education; the creation of new industries and job 
                opportunities spurred by emerging technologies, such as 
                artificial intelligence; the nature of many careers in 
                the trades and manufacturing; and the need for 
                companies to invest in the training and re-training of 
                their workers and more clearly define the skills and 
                competencies that jobs require;
                    (b) develop a plan for recognizing companies that 
                demonstrate excellence in workplace education, 
                training, and re-training policies and investments, in 
                order to galvanize industries to identify and adopt 
                best practices, innovate their workplace policies, and 
                invest in their workforces;
                    (c) examine how the Congress and the executive 
                branch can work with private employers, educational 
                institutions, labor unions, other non-profit 
                organizations, and State, territorial, tribal, and 
                local governments to support the implementation of 
                recommendations from the Task Force on Apprenticeship 
                Expansion established in Executive Order 13801 of June 
                15, 2017 (Expanding Apprenticeships in America), 
                including recommendations related to:

(i) developing and increasing the use of industry-recognized, portable 
credentials by experienced workers seeking further education, displaced 
workers seeking skills to secure new jobs, students enrolled in 
postsecondary education, and younger Americans who are exploring career and 
education options before entering the workforce;

(ii) increasing apprenticeship, earn-and-learn, and work-based learning 
opportunities;

(iii) expanding the use of online learning resources; and

[[Page 35101]]

(iv) increasing the number of partnerships around the country between 
companies, local educational institutions, and other entities, including 
local governments, labor unions, workforce development boards, and other 
non-profit organizations, in an effort to understand the types of skills 
that are required by employers so that educational institutions can 
recalibrate their efforts toward the development and delivery of more 
effective training programs.

                    (d) consider the recommendations of the American 
                Workforce Policy Advisory Board (Board) established in 
                section 8 of this order and, as appropriate, adopt 
                recommendations that would significantly advance the 
                objectives of the Council. The Council shall continue 
                to consider and, as appropriate, adopt the Board's 
                recommendations beyond the initial 180-day period 
                provided by this section;
                    (e) recommend a specific course of action for 
                increasing transparency related to education and job-
                training program options, including those offered at 4-
                year institutions and community colleges. The Council 
                shall also propose ways to increase access to available 
                job data, including data on industries and geographic 
                locations with the greatest numbers of open jobs and 
                projected future opportunities, as well as the 
                underlying skills required to fill open jobs, so that 
                American students and workers can make the most 
                informed decisions possible regarding their education, 
                job selection, and career paths. The Council shall also 
                propose strategies for how best to use existing data 
                tools to support informed decision making for American 
                students and workers;
                    (f) develop recommendations on how the public 
                sector should engage with the private sector in worker 
                re-training, including through the use of online 
                learning resources. In developing these 
                recommendations, the Council shall examine existing 
                private sector efforts to re-train workers or develop 
                them professionally, and consider how investments in 
                worker training and re-training programs compare to 
                investments in other human-resource related areas, such 
                as recruitment, health benefits, and retirement 
                benefits; and
                    (g) examine public and private-sector expenditures, 
                including tax expenditures, related to providing 
                Americans with knowledge and skills that will enable 
                them to succeed in the workplace at various stages of 
                life (such as during primary and secondary education, 
                postsecondary education, continuing professional 
                development, and re-training), consider the 
                effectiveness of those expenditures, and make 
                suggestions for reforms in order to serve American 
                workers and students better.

                Sec. 8. Establishment of the American Workforce Policy 
                Advisory Board. (a) There is hereby established the 
                American Workforce Policy Advisory Board.

                    (b) The Board shall be composed and function as 
                follows:

(i) The Board shall be composed of the Secretary of Commerce and the 
Advisor to the President overseeing the Office of Economic Initiatives, and 
up to 25 members appointed by the President from among citizens outside the 
Federal Government, and shall include individuals chosen to serve as 
representatives of the various sectors of the economy, including the 
private sector, employers, educational institutions, and States, to offer 
diverse perspectives on how the Federal Government can improve education, 
training, and re-training for American workers;

(ii) The Board shall be co-chaired by the Secretary of Commerce and the 
Advisor to the President overseeing the Office of Economic Initiatives;

(iii) Members appointed to the Board shall serve for a term of 2 years. If 
the term of the Board established in subsection (a) of this section is 
extended, members shall be eligible for reappointment, and may continue to 
serve after the expiration of their terms until the appointment of a 
successor;

(iv) The Board shall advise the Council on the workforce policy of the 
United States. Specific activities of the Board shall include, to the 
extent

[[Page 35102]]

permitted by law, recommending steps to encourage the private sector and 
educational institutions to combat the skills crisis by investing in and 
increasing demand-driven education, training, and re-training, including 
through apprenticeships and work-based learning opportunities;

(v) Members of the Board shall serve without any compensation for their 
work on the Board. Members of the Board, while engaged in the work of the 
Board, may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
subsistence, to the extent permitted by law for persons serving 
intermittently in Government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707), consistent with 
the availability of funds;

(vi) The Board shall terminate 2 years after the date of this order, unless 
extended by the President; and

(vii) Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. 
App.), may apply to the Board, any functions of the President under that 
Act, except for those in section 6 and section 14 of that Act, shall be 
performed by the Secretary of Commerce, in accordance with the guidelines 
issued by the Administrator of General Services.

                Sec. 9. Administrative Provisions. (a) The Department 
                of Commerce shall provide the Council and the Board 
                with funding and administrative support as may be 
                necessary for the performance of their functions.

                    (b) The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with 
                the Co-Chairs of the Council, shall designate an 
                official to serve as Executive Director, to coordinate 
                the day-to-day functions of the Council.
                    (c) To the extent permitted by law, including the 
                Economy Act (31 U.S.C. 1535), and subject to the 
                availability of appropriations, other agencies may 
                detail staff to the Council, or otherwise provide 
                administrative support, in order to advance the 
                Council's functions.
                    (d) Agencies shall cooperate with the Council and 
                provide such information regarding its current and 
                planned activities related to policies that affect the 
                American workforce as the Co-Chairs shall reasonably 
                request, to the extent permitted by law.

                Sec. 10. Termination of Council. The Council shall 
                terminate 2 years after the date of this order, unless 
                extended by the President.

                Sec. 11. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order 
                shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or 
the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

                    (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with 
                applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.

[[Page 35103]]

                    (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, 
                create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
                enforceable at law or in equity by any party against 
                the United States, its departments, agencies, or 
                entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any 
                other person.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    July 19, 2018.

[FR Doc. 2018-15955
Filed 7-23-18; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F8-P