[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 112 (Monday, June 10, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29432-29434]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-14603]



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NATIONAL SKILL STANDARDS BOARD


Request for Comments; Notice of Public Hearings

    This notice announces the second in a series of public hearings to 
stimulate public dialogue on key issues relevant to the decision-making 
of the National Skill Standards Board (NSSB), and notifies the public 
of the dates, locations, and times of these hearings. The second round 
of public hearings will solicit the public's views on the nature, 
scope, and functions of an ideal national system of workforce 
development, and to determine how skill standards can enhance that 
system.
    The first series of hearings, held in April 1996, garnered valuable 
information from employers, vocational educators, parents, professional 
associations, union leaders, community organizations, state government 
agencies, teachers, and others. Their views provided a framework for 
the Board's development of a voluntary system of skill standards. The 
National Skill Standards Board will continue to develop its policies 
and approaches by sharing its preliminary thinking with the public 
before the Board's final adoption of policies.
    Those providing testimony at the initial set of pubic hearings gave 
a broad range of comments on issues relating to NSSB's mission, skill 
standards' characteristics and uses, existing models for 
implementation, the role of voluntary partnerships, the identification 
of occupational clusters, and high performance/best practice 
workplaces. There was unanimous support for the mission and efforts of 
NSSB. There was a general consensus that the NSSB should: (1) Learn 
from existing efforts to avoid reinventing the wheel; (2) involve all 
stakeholders in the process, but employers must lead the effort; (3) 
establish standards that are portable, flexible, integrated with 
academic standards and basic employability skills, and that are 
regularly updated; and (4) create a common lexicon to describe skills 
and standards. In addition, although there was common agreement on the 
necessity of clustering tasks or occupations, there was no consensus on 
the best method of clustering. Finally, there was no consensus on the 
issue of how the Board's work should relate to the concept of high 
performance/best practice workplaces or jobs. Many agreed that highly 
skilled jobs are integral to America's economic health, but they urged 
the Board to not focus solely on highly skilled jobs but on those that 
are most important to the economy.
    Within future public hearings, the NSSB will solicit public comment 
on such topics as:
    <bullet> Voluntary partnerships.

[[Page 29433]]

    <bullet> Occupational skill clusters for skill standards 
development.
    <bullet> Standards endorsement criteria.
    <bullet> Assessment.
    <bullet> Certification and accreditation.
    <bullet> Civil rights issues in developing a voluntary system of 
skill standards.

DATES:
    A. Hearing Dates: The dates of the second set of public hearings 
are:
    <bullet> Wednesday, June 26, 1996: San Francisco, CA.
    <bullet> Tuesday, July 9, 1996: Detroit, MI.
    <bullet> Thursday, July 11, 1996: Washington, DC.
    B. Comment Dates for Public Hearings: Comments and notices of 
intent to present oral and/or written statements at the hearings must 
be received 10 business days before the date of the hearing at which 
they will be presented. The requirements for the comments are set forth 
in the Supplementary Information section below. We strongly encourage 
responses to the Questions for Public Comment.

ADDRESSES: The locations of the three public hearings are as follows:
    <bullet> San Francisco: Ramada Plaza Hotel at Fisherman's Wharf, 
590 Bay St., San Francisco, CA 94133, (415) 885-4700.
    <bullet> Detroit: Westin Hotel at Renaissance Center, Detroit, MI 
48243, (313) 568-8000.
    <bullet> Washington: Hyatt Regency at Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20001, (202) 737-1234.
    Notice of intent to present oral statements or written statements 
must be mailed to NSSB Public Hearing Coordinator at the address below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: NSSB Public Hearing Coordinator, 
National Skill Standards Board, 1441 L Street, NW., Suite 9000, 
Washington, DC 20005-3512, (202)-254-8628, (202)-254-8646 (fax).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Form of Public Comment

    The hearings will begin at 9:30 a.m. and adjourn at 1:00 p.m. To 
assist the NSSB in scheduling speakers, the written notice of intent to 
present oral comments should include the following information: (1) the 
name, address, and telephone number of each person to appear; (2) title 
and affiliation; and (3) the specific questions, issues or concerns 
that will be addressed.
    Individuals who do not register in advance will be permitted to 
register and speak at each hearing, if time permits, in order of 
registration. Speakers should limit their oral remarks to no more than 
10 minutes. Although it is anticipated that all persons desiring to 
speak will have an opportunity to do so, time limits may not allow this 
to occur. However, all written statements will be accepted and 
incorporated into the public record. The proceedings will be audiotaped 
and transcribed.

Meeting Procedure and Objectives

    Members of the National Skill Standards Board will comprise the 
hearing panel. A designated member of the NSSB will preside at each of 
the hearings. The Presiding Board Member will:

(1) Regulate the course of the meeting, including the order of 
appearance of persons presenting oral statements;
(2) Dispose of procedural matters; and
(3) Limit the presentations to matters pertinent to the issues raised 
in this notice.

Background

    The National Skill Standards Board was created by The National 
Skill Standards Act of 1994 (108 Stat 192,20 U.S.C. 5933), signed into 
law by President Clinton on March 31, 1994. The Board's purpose as 
stated in the Act is ``to serve as a catalyst in stimulating the 
development and adoption of a voluntary national system of skill 
standards and of assessment and certification of attainment of skill 
standards: (1) That will serve as a cornerstone of the national 
strategy to enhance workforce skills; (2) that will result in increased 
productivity, economic growth, and American economic competitiveness; 
and (3) that can be used consistent with civil rights laws'' by the 
stakeholders enumerated in the Act: the nation, industries, employers, 
labor organizations, workers, students, entry-level workers, training 
providers, educators and government.
    The Act also relates that this voluntary national system of skill 
standards will serve (1) to facilitate the transition to high 
performance work organizations; (2) to increase opportunities for 
minorities and women; and (3) to facilitate linkages between other 
components of the national strategy to enhance workforce skills.
    The National Skill Standards Act calls for voluntary skill 
standards that ``facilitate linkages between other components of the 
national strategy to enhance workforce skills.'' These other components 
include the educational system, school-to-work programs, welfare-to-
work programs, job training programs, apprenticeship, occupational 
licensing and certification, literacy and basic skills programs, and 
one-stop career centers. NSSB welcomes comments on how skill standards 
can best contribute to the collaborative efforts of employers, 
educators and trainers, government, other stakeholder groups, and 
individual workers in creating a model system that prepares individuals 
for the workplace.
    Voluntary skill standards are essential to an effective workforce 
development system. Standards accomplish this purpose by communicating 
the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for individuals to succeed 
in the workplace. To adapt to the changing skill needs of the 
continuously evolving economy, Americans will need to engage in ongoing 
learning throughout their careers.
    An ideal workforce development system effectively links public and 
private resources and programs to:
    <bullet> Give students a strong foundation of academic and work-
related skills;
    <bullet> Develop career pathways for students to facilitate 
employment in rewarding careers;
    <bullet>  Provide employers with the skilled employees needed in 
today's and tomorrow's economy;
    <bullet>  Enable workforce entrants, the unemployed, and current 
workers to clearly understand the skills needed for success in current 
and future workplaces;
    <bullet>  Connect individuals with the education and training they 
need to meet voluntary skill standards; and
    <bullet>  Give states and localities a mechanism to ensure 
accountability and continual improvement in public education and 
training programs.
    Voluntary skill standards allow individuals to easily transfer 
evidence of skill attainment from one education or training provider to 
another. A voluntary standards system also enables both individuals and 
programs to clearly identify the skills individuals already possess, so 
that they can acquire the new skills they need, not re-learn old 
skills. This ensures cost-effective programming and streamlined 
instructional programs.
    An effective workforce development system gives people greater 
control over their own education and training. The current assortment 
of programs with different entry requirements and services makes it 
nearly impossible for individuals to navigate the bureaucracy and find 
the appropriate education and training. Everyone should have ready 
access to information on jobs, and the education and training needed to 
qualify for those jobs.
    An effective workforce development system is one that:
    <bullet>  Is standards-driven: Standards provide a common framework 
for linking a diverse array of training providers and communicating 
clear

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pathways to successful careers. Standards help people bridge the gap 
between their current skills and abilities and the workplace needs of 
the future.
    <bullet>  Is user-driven: The system must serve a wide range of 
users: employers seeking a skilled workforce; individuals who want to 
build their knowledge, skills and abilities; and educators and trainers 
who will meet the needs of both employers and learners.
    <bullet>  Offers users flexible, timely, high quality service 
delivery options: A flexible, adaptive and user-driven system is one 
that is easily accessed and can be tailored to meet an individual's 
requirements. Such a system offers users a variety of service providers 
that can assure timely, high quality education and training. Through 
the use of skill standards, individuals can ``shop around'' for the 
best training, and continue to learn and improve their earnings 
throughout their lifetimes.
    <bullet>  Communicates skill requirements clearly: An effective 
workforce development system enables employers, educators, trainers, 
workers, job seekers, students, parents and others to speak a common 
language, so that skill needs are clearly understood and effectively 
translated into relevant training and educational programs.
    <bullet>  Is based upon an effective, objective assessment of 
knowledge and skills.
    In today's economy, individuals pursue extremely varied paths from 
school to work, and from one job or career to another. Academic and 
skill attainment should link clearly and easily with voluntary skill 
standards, so that individuals understand how to apply their knowledge 
and skills to different career areas. An effective, user-driven skill 
standards system should be responsive to different paths to careers, so 
that no one is excluded from well-paid jobs solely because he or she 
took a different path to acquiring the needed knowledge and skills.
    Basing a workforce development system upon voluntary skill 
standards would permit more flexibility with respect to where 
instruction is offered, instructional methods, the education or 
training provider, and the duration of the program. Thus the same 
results can be achieved by a variety of paths. The integration of skill 
standards into a workforce development system will facilitate access to 
better jobs for people from all backgrounds, by redefining access and 
creating a more level playing field.
    Training might be acquired on the job, in the classroom, or some 
combination of both. For example, adults could pursue more advanced 
skills in vocational schools, or in programs offered by their employers 
and/or unions either in-house or under contract with a third party 
provider. Training might also take place in postsecondary educational 
institutions or through alternative education providers. In all cases, 
adults would have the information and access to the resources they need 
to keep their skills continuously refreshed.
    A successful workforce development system requires a high level of 
coordination and communication among education and training providers, 
government agencies, employers, labor unions, and community members. In 
some countries, workforce development success is governed by long-
standing partnerships of industry, education and organized labor, and 
is based on an understanding of their common interests in assuring a 
society made up of well-educated, highly-skilled individuals. If the 
United States is to maintain and improve its competitive edge, these 
parties must work together to promote a thriving society that offers 
meaningful careers, enviable living standards, and long-term 
employability to every American.

Questions

    We invite employers, employer associations, organized labor, 
educators and trainers, community organizations, parents, state and 
local governments, and all other interested individuals or 
organizations to respond to the following questions:
    1. How have you used voluntary skill standards to improve, 
coordinate, and streamline education and training at the state and/or 
local levels? What lessons can you offer the NSSB based on these 
experiences?
    2. What have been the challenges, opportunities and lessons you 
have learned about the roles and responsibilities of employers, 
organized labor, educators, workers, students, parents, public agencies 
and others? How can these groups best work together to support a 
voluntary skill standards system?
    3. How can voluntary skill standards most effectively support 
states and local communities (including all partners in the private, 
public, and nonprofit sectors) in:
    a. responding to the challenge of block grants,
    b. coordinating and improving the following initiatives:

--One-stop career centers,
--Welfare-to-work programs,
--School-to-work programs,
--Job training and employment programs,
--Employment services,
--Literacy and basic skills programs,
--High school equivalency degree and alternative education programs, 
and/or
--Union and/or employer-sponsored training.

    c. linking the state's academic requirements to the future skill 
needs of the economy?
    4. How can voluntary skill standards most effectively support a 
strong role for industry in a national workforce development system?
    5. How can voluntary skill standards help enhance a national 
workforce development system that improves services for individuals 
from all backgrounds, and enables them to transfer their skills across 
occupations, firms, industries, and across the country?
    a. How do your activities fit into the national workforce 
development system?
    b. What is the proper role for the NSSB within a workforce 
development system that prepares youth and adults for the challenges of 
continuously evolving workplaces?
    c. What is your vision of an ideal national workforce development 
system and what are the critical elements of such a system?

    Signed at Washington, D.C. this 4th day of June 1996.
Judy Gray,
Executive Director, National Skill Standards Board.
[FR Doc. 96-14603 Filed 6-7-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-23-M