Last week, the Commerce Department officially named the 25 individuals appointed to the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board.  This announcement is the latest in a series of steps that the Trump Administration has taken to implement its workforce policy agenda.  With the Advisory Board set to begin work, it is a good time to assess the state of these policies since the president first took office.

President Trump’s first major workforce policy initiative related to apprenticeships — programs that combine paid work with industry skills education.  Executive Order 13801, titled “Expanding Apprenticeships in America,” was signed in June 2017 and aims to expand the number of apprenticeships in the United States to 5 million over a five-year period.  The EO increased apprenticeship program funding to $200 million, paid for by cutting other skills development and workplace readiness programs overseen by various federal agencies.  The EO also diminished the role of the federal government in creating and monitoring apprenticeship programs, shifting that role to third party private entities, including trade groups, labor unions, and businesses.

EO 13801 also established a Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion, which was charged with identifying strategies and proposals to promote apprenticeships throughout the country, especially in sectors where existing programs are insufficient.  The Task Force issued its final report in May 2018.  A subsequent Training and Employment Notice published by the Labor Department incorporated portions of the Task Force’s findings to establish standards that it will use to evaluate and certify third party providers’ apprenticeship programs.

In July 2018, President Trump expanded on his workforce policy agenda with the Pledge to American Workers, an initiative that recruits U.S. companies and trade groups to pledge to expand programs that educate, train, and reskill American workers.  Since July 2018, the initiative has secured over 6.5 million new opportunities pledged from 200 private sector companies.  A bipartisan group of 41 governors has also signed the pledge.

A signature piece of the initiative is the National Council for the American Worker, created through Executive Order 13845.  The Council is a federal interagency body tasked with creating a national strategy to increase job training opportunities for students and workers through education, skills-based training, and other means of workforce development.  The purpose of this initiative is to prepare Americans for the 21st century economy and cultivate a demand-driven approach to workforce development.  The Council will devise recommendations on how the federal government can foster partnerships with private employers, educational institutions, labor unions, local governments, and other non-profit organizations to create and promote workforce development strategies that provide evidence-based, affordable education and skills-based training for youths and adults.

EO 13845 also created the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board.  The Board is co-chaired by Commerce Secretary Ross and Ivanka Trump, and it is responsible for providing advice to the Council on federal workforce policy, including 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.  The recently-announced members of the Board are made up of leaders in the private sector, educational institutions, and states in order to provide diverse perspectives on education, training, and re-training for American workers.

With the Board now in place, businesses can expect the Trump Administration to continue pursuing a workforce policy agenda focused on 21st-century skills training, deregulation, and increased public-private partnerships.  For example, the President’s recent Executive Order on Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence directs federal agencies to provide educational grants for AI-oriented worker training and coordinate with the National Council for the American Worker on matters regarding AI and the workforce.  Further activity should be expected pending public reports by the Council and the Board.

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Photo of Holly Fechner Holly Fechner

Holly Fechner advises clients on complex public policy matters that combine legal and political opportunities and risks. She leads teams that represent companies, entities, and organizations in significant policy and regulatory matters before Congress and the Executive Branch.

She is a co-chair of…

Holly Fechner advises clients on complex public policy matters that combine legal and political opportunities and risks. She leads teams that represent companies, entities, and organizations in significant policy and regulatory matters before Congress and the Executive Branch.

She is a co-chair of the Covington’s Technology Industry Group and a member of the Covington Political Action Committee board of directors.

Holly works with clients to:

  • Develop compelling public policy strategies
  • Research law and draft legislation and policy
  • Draft testimony, comments, fact sheets, letters and other documents
  • Advocate before Congress and the Executive Branch
  • Form and manage coalitions
  • Develop communications strategies

She is the Executive Director of Invent Together and a visiting lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She serves on the board of directors of the American Constitution Society.

Holly served as Policy Director for Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Chief Labor and Pensions Counsel for the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee.

She received The American Lawyer, “Dealmaker of the Year” award in 2019. The Hill named her a “Top Lobbyist” from 2013 to the present, and she has been ranked by Chambers USAAmerica’s Leading Business Lawyers from 2012 to the present. One client noted to Chambers: “Holly is an exceptional attorney who excels in government relations and policy discussions. She has an incisive analytical skill set which gives her the capability of understanding extremely complex legal and institutional matters.” According to another client surveyed by Chambers, “Holly is incredibly intelligent, effective and responsive. She also leads the team in a way that brings out everyone’s best work.”

Photo of Tom Plotkin Tom Plotkin

Tom Plotkin advises companies on a broad range of ESG issues with a focus on social responsibility, including business and human rights, equity and civil rights, and external engagement and brand reputation.

As a member of Covington’s Business and Human Rights practice, Tom…

Tom Plotkin advises companies on a broad range of ESG issues with a focus on social responsibility, including business and human rights, equity and civil rights, and external engagement and brand reputation.

As a member of Covington’s Business and Human Rights practice, Tom advises clients on all aspects of the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, including issues related to supply chain due diligence and responsible sourcing, downstream product use and human rights impacts, and strategies for integrating human rights oversight into broader compliance programs.

Tom is also a member of Covington’s Institutional Culture and Social Responsibility practice, where he assists companies in evaluating and managing the legal, business, and reputational risks associated with social impacts of business practices. Tom’s work in this area focuses on civil rights and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

As a member of Covington’s ESG practice, Tom draws on his social responsibility portfolio to assist companies in bridging internal practices and external engagement strategies. Tom assists with public ESG reporting, responding to shareholder ESG proposals, and external stakeholder engagement.

Tom is also a member of Covington’s Employment practice, where he advises on a range of domestic and international employment law issues.