For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 20, 2001
Executive Order
21st Century Workforce Initiative
By the authority vested in me as President by
the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, including
the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), and in
order to promote the study and the development of strategies to address
the needs of the 21st century workforce, it is hereby ordered as
follows:
Section 1. Establishment of the
Office of the 21st Century Workforce. (a) The Secretary of
Labor is hereby directed to establish within the Department of Labor
the Office of the 21st Century Workforce. The Office shall
provide a focal point for the identification and study of issues
relating to the workforce of the United States and the development of
strategies for effectively addressing such issues.
(b) The Office of the 21st Century
Workforce shall gather and disseminate information relating to
workforce issues by conducting summits, conferences, field hearings,
meetings, and other appropriate forums designed to encourage the
participation of organizations and individuals interested in such
issues, including business and labor organizations, academicians,
employers, employees, and public officials at the local, State, and
Federal levels.
(c) Among the issues to be
addressed by the Office of the 21st Century Workforce shall be the
identification of the ways in which the Department of Labor may
streamline and update the information and services made available to
the workforce by the Department; eliminate duplicative or overlapping
rules and regulations; and eliminate statutory and regulatory barriers
to assisting the workforce in successfully adapting to the challenges
of the 21st century.
Sec. 2. Establishment of the
Council on the 21st Century Workforce.
(a) Establishment and Composition
of the Council.
(i) There
is hereby established the "President's Council on the 21st Century Workforce"
(Council).
(ii) The
Council shall be composed of not more than 13 members who shall be appointed
by the
President. The membership shall
include individuals who represent the views of business and labor
organizations, Federal, State, and local
governments, academicians and educators, and
such other associations and entities as the President
determines are appropriate. In
addition, the Secretary of Labor and the
Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall serve as ex
officio members representing the views of the
Federal Government. The Secretary
of Labor shall be the Chairperson of the Council.
(b) Functions of the
Council. The Council shall provide information and advice to
the President through the Secretary of Labor, the Office of the 21st
Century Workforce within the Department of Labor, and other appropriate
Federal officials relating to issues affecting the 21st century
workforce. These activities shall include:
(i)
assessing the effects of rapid technological changes, demographic trends,
globalization, changes in
work processes, and the need for new and
enhanced skills for workers, employers, and other related sectors of society;
(ii)
examining current and alternative approaches to assisting
workers and employers in adjusting to and
benefitting from suchchanges, including
opportunities for workplace education, retraining,
access to assistive technologies and workplace
supports, and skills upgrading;
(iii)
identifying impediments to the adjustment to such changes
by workers and employers and recommending
approaches and policies that could remove
those impediments;
(iv)
assisting the Office of the 21st Century Workforce in
reviewing programs carried out by the
Department of Labor and identifying changes to
such programs that would stream-line and update
their effectiveness in meeting the needs of
the workforce; and
(v)
analyzing such additional issues relating to the workforce
and making such reports as the President or
the Secretary of Labor may request.
(c) Administration of the Council.
(i) The
Council shall meet on the call of the Chairperson, at a
time and place designated by the
Chairperson. The Chairperson may
form subcommittees or working groups within the Council to address
particular matters.
(ii) The
Council may from time to time prescribe such
procedures and policies relating to the activities of the Council as
are not inconsistent with law or with the
provisions of this order.
(iii) Each
member of the Council who is not an
officer or
employee of the Federal Government shall serve without compensation
but shall be allowed travel expenses,
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as
authorized by law for persons serving intermittently
in Federal service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707).
(iv) The
Department of Labor shall make available appropriate
funding and administrative support to assist
the Council in carrying out the functions
under this section, including necessary office
space, equipment, supplies, staff, and
services. The Secretary of Labor shall perform
the functions of the President under the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C.
App.), as amended, except that of reporting to the
Congress, with respect to the Council in
accordance with the guidelines and procedures
established by the Administrator of General
Services.
(v) The
heads of executive agencies shall, to the extent
permitted by law, provide the Council with
such information as it may require for
purposes of carrying out the functions described in this section.
(d) Termination of the
Council. The Council shall terminate 2 years from the date
of this order unless extended by the President prior to such date.
Sec. 3. Effect on Prior Orders.
(a) Amendments to Executive Order
13111 of January 12, 1999. In order to ensure the
coordination and nonduplication of advice and information regarding
21st century workforce issues, section 6 of Executive Order 13111,
relating to the functions of the Advisory Committee on Expanding
Training Opportunities, is amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 6. Functions of the Advisory
Committee. The Committee shall provide the President,
through the Secretary of Labor (who shall ensure the coordination of
the activities of the Committee with the activities undertaken pursuant
to sections 1 and 2 of the Executive Order on the 21st Century
Workforce Initiative), an independent assessment of:
(1)
progress made by the Federal Government in its use and
integration of technology in adult training
programs, particularly in addressing the
problems of adult illiteracy;
(2) how
Federal Government programs, initiatives, and policies
can encourage or accelerate training
technology to provide more accessible, more
timely, and more cost-effective training
opportunities for all Americans;
(3)
mechanisms for the Federal Government to widely deploy and
utilize technology-mediated instruction so all
Americans may take advantage of opportunities
provided by learning technology;
(4) the
appropriate Federal Government role in research and
development for learning technologies and
their applications in order to develop
high-quality training and education opportunities for all
Americans; and
(5) such
other issues regarding emerging technologies in
government training as specified by the
Secretary of Labor."
(b) Revocation of Executive Order
13174. Executive Order 13174 of October 27, 2000, relating
to the establishment of the Commission on Workers, Communities, and
Economic Change in the New Economy, is revoked.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
June 20, 2001.
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