Hatch Statement on New Council for the American Worker and the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board

Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R - UT)

Washington, D.C. - July 22, 2018 - (The Ponder News) -- Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), a member and former Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, issued the following statement after President Trump signed an executive order launching the New Council for the American Worker and the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board:

“The President’s executive order will help us prepare America’s workers for the jobs of the future. Investing in employer-led training is essential, which is why I have long supported apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and enhanced career skill-building opportunities. I plan to do my part in bringing employers, employees, and educational institutions together to strengthen our nation’s workforce.”

Background:

The President’s Executive Order established the President’s National Council for the American Worker and the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board to solve the new challenges faced by American workers.

The President’s National Council for the American Worker (Council) will provide a forum for the development of a national strategy to address urgent workforce issues. The Council will:

Develop a national campaign to raise awareness of workforce issues, such as the urgency of the skills crisis and the importance of STEM education;

Create a plan for recognizing companies that demonstrate excellence in workplace education, training, retraining policies, and workforce investment;

Help expand the number of apprenticeships and encourage increased investment in training and re-training American workers;

Recommend a specific course of action for increasing transparency related to education and job-training programs, and propose ways to increase available job data; and

Consider and implement the recommendations of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board (Board), as appropriate.

The Board will draw upon the knowledge and expertise of leaders from outside government to develop recommendations on how to improve our country’s education and training.

The Board will play an important role in encouraging the private, education, and not-for-profit sectors to commit to investing in and re-training their workers.

The Administration is also calling on American companies, associations, and foundations to sign a pledge committing to invest in workers and students.

Congress has responded to the needs of the labor market in the past few weeks by bringing America’s vibrant Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs into the 21stst Century. With Senator Hatch’s assistance, the Senate HELP Committee recently passed legislation that would help modernize the Carl D. Perkins CTE Act by aligning CTE programs in high school and college with current and future labor market needs. Thanks in part to provisions the Senator authored, the bill preserves state and local control over educational decisions, encourages dual and concurrent enrollment, and incentivizes innovative learning models to help students complete their education and immediately enter a rapidly evolving and highly technical workforce.

In addition to supporting high school and college educational programs, American workers throughout their careers need to acquire the skills to meet the growing demands of a global economy. Senator Hatch will continue working with his colleagues in both the Senate and the House to bring forward legislation that will modernize and expand apprenticeships.