A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

SEC. 502. PURPOSE.

It is the purpose of this title to establish a National Skill Standards Board 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--
(A) by the Nation, to ensure the development of a high skills, high quality, high performance workforce, including the most skilled frontline workforce in the world;
(B) by industries, as a vehicle for informing training providers and prospective employees of skills necessary for employment;
(C) by employers, to assist in evaluating the skill levels of prospective employees and to assist in the training of current employees;
(D) by labor organizations, to enhance the employment security of workers by providing portable credentials and skills;
(E) by workers, to--
(i) obtain certifications of their skills to protect against dislocation;
(ii) pursue career advancement; and
(iii) enhance their ability to reenter the workforce;
(F) by students and entry level workers, to determine the skill levels and competencies needed to be obtained in order to compete effectively for high wage jobs;
(G) by training providers and educators, to determine appropriate training services to offer;
(H) by government, to evaluate whether publicly funded training assists participants to meet skill standards where such standards exist and thereby protect the integrity of public expenditures;
(I) to facilitate the transition to high performance work organizations;
(J) to increase opportunities for minorities and women, including removing barriers to the entry of women into nontraditional employment; and
(K) to facilitate linkages between other components of the national strategy to enhance workforce skills, including school-to-work transition, secondary and postsecondary vocational-technical education, and job training programs.

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TITLE V--NATIONAL SKILL STANDARDS BOARD Table of Contents SEC. 503. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL BOARD.