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MemoMemorandumObama · D

Presidential Memorandum

Establishing a Task Force on Skills for America's Future

This memorandum establishes an interagency Task Force on Skills for America's Future, co-chaired by the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers and two White House policy assistants, to develop recommendations for improving workforce training partnerships between community colleges, businesses, labor unions, and other stakeholders. The Task Force is charged with identifying scalable approaches to career training, stackable credentials, and public-private partnerships, but has no dedicated funding or enforcement authority beyond voluntary agency coordination.

Federal Register Open PDF 75 FR 62309

Impact dates

  1. Agency heads to assist and provide information to Task Force as necessary

  2. Council of Economic Advisers to provide administrative support to Task Force

Key directives

  • Establish interagency Task Force on Skills for America's Future
  • Co-Chairs to be Chair of CEA, Assistant to President for Economic Policy, and Assistant to President for Domestic Policy
  • Task Force to develop recommendations for career-training and education opportunities
  • Task Force to identify and develop stackable credentials for in-demand occupations
  • Task Force to align workforce training programs across Education, Labor, and other agencies with regional market demands
  • Agency heads to assist and provide information to Task Force
  • Each agency to bear its own expenses of participation
  • Chair of CEA to publish memorandum in Federal Register

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • Task Force established
  • Co-Chairs designated
  • member agencies identified

Near term (90d)

  • Council of Economic Advisers to provide administrative support
  • agencies to assist and provide information to Task Force

Long term

  • development of recommendations for workforce training programs
  • potential scaling of public-private partnerships
  • alignment of federal training programs with market demands

Risks & tensions

  • No dedicated appropriations or funding mechanism; implementation explicitly 'subject to availability of any necessary appropriations'
  • Task Force lacks enforcement authority; relies on voluntary agency cooperation and 'best evidence' consensus
  • Vague timeline with no reporting deadline or sunset date for recommendations
  • Potential tension between federal policy coordination and local/regional market demands
  • Agencies must 'bear its own expenses,' creating incentive conflicts for participation
Presidential Memorandum: Establishing a Task Force on Skills for America's Future · Executive Orders