Notice of Intent To Reestablish the Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship (ACA) Charter and Request for Member Nominations, 23741-23742 [2021-09267]

Agencies

• Employment and Training Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 4, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23741-23742]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-09267]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Notice of Intent To Reestablish the Advisory Committee on 
Apprenticeship (ACA) Charter and Request for Member Nominations

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Labor.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Labor (Secretary) has determined that the 
reestablishment of the Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship (ACA or 
Committee) is necessary and in the public interest. The Department of 
Labor (DOL) intends to reestablish the ACA charter with revisions which 
are not intended to change the Committee's purpose or original intent. 
The revisions update the charter to ensure its closer alignment with 
the Department's current apprenticeship priorities. Additionally, DOL 
is requesting nominations of qualified candidates to be considered for 
appointment to the ACA.

DATES: The reestablishing ACA charter will be filed May 19, 2021. ACA 
member nominations must be received by June 3, 2021.

ADDRESSES: DOL has adopted a maximum telework posture in response to 
the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, nominations for individuals to serve on 
the ACA should be submitted electronically. Interested persons may 
submit ACA nominations, including relevant attachments, through any of 
the following methods:
    Electronically: Send to: [email protected] 
(and please specify in the email subject line, ``Nominations for 
Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship (ACA).''
    If you do not have access to an electronic means of submission: 
please call the Office of Apprenticeship on (202) 693-3795, and leave a 
message and someone will coordinate a mail submission; however, the 
Department highly encourages electronic submissions as provided above.
    Mail, express delivery, messenger service, or courier service: 
Submit one copy of the documents listed above to the following address: 
U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, 
Office of Apprenticeship, ACA, Room C- 5321, 200 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20210.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For any questions concerning the ACA 
nomination process, please contact Ms. Kenya Huckaby, Executive 
Assistant, Employment and Training Administration, Office of 
Apprenticeship, at [email protected], telephone (202) 693-3795 
(this is not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Registered Apprenticeship is a unique public 
private partnership that is highly dependent on the engagement and 
involvement of its stakeholders and partners for its ongoing 
operational effectiveness. Apart from the ACA, there is no single 
organization or group with the broad representation of labor, 
employers, and the public available to consider the complexities and 
relationship of apprenticeship activities to other training efforts or 
to provide advice on such matters to the Secretary. It is particularly 
important to have such perspectives as DOL considers the expansion of 
registered apprenticeship, fundamentally instilling a permanent culture 
of inclusion in our workforce, and supports our Nation's economic 
recovery in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ACA's insight 
and recommendations on the best ways to address critical apprenticeship 
issues to meet the emerging needs of industry, labor, and the public is 
critical. For these reasons, the Secretary has determined that the 
reestablishment of a national advisory committee on apprenticeship is 
necessary and in the public interest.
    There is currently no active charter for the ACA as the previous 
ACA charter expired on December 19, 2018. The pending charter has been 
revised to ensure alignment with current DOL priorities in the 
following four sections: (1) Objectives and Scope of Activities; (2) 
Description of Duties; (3) Designated Federal Officer (DFO); and (4) 
Membership and Designation.
    Summary of the Charter Changes:
    1. The Objectives and Scope of Activities section has been updated 
to reflect the current priorities of the Administration and charge the 
ACA with providing advice and recommendations on ways to better utilize 
the apprenticeship training model in order to provide equitable career 
pathways that advance the dignity of work for everyone.

[[Page 23742]]

    2. The Description of Duties section has been updated to allow the 
ACA to engage with a variety of stakeholders and attend site and field 
visits, in conjunction with committee meetings, in order to visit and 
explore innovative and emerging apprenticeship models and best 
practices that can help inform their work. It further calls for the ACA 
to provide an interim report within six months of the charter's filing 
and establishes a biennial reporting cycle.
    3. The DFO section has been revised to reflect the return of DFO 
responsibilities to the Office of Apprenticeship Administrator, who 
served as DFO historically.
    4. The Membership and Designation section has been updated to 
reflect the inclusion of representation of active or recently completed 
youth apprentices (ages 16-24), additional ex officio members, and 
program participants.
    The ACA is being reestablished in accordance with the provisions of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C. App. 2. 
The ACA is charged providing advice and recommendations to the 
Secretary on a variety of apprenticeship issues. The ACA's duties 
include assembling, reviewing, and assessing information relating to 
accelerating the expansion of apprenticeship. In providing advice and 
recommendations to the Secretary, the ACA will hold regular meetings 
with agendas that are prepared with guidance provided by the 
Department; engage with a variety of stakeholders, to include site and 
field visits, as appropriate; review and provide feedback on research, 
policies, best practices, and industry and employment trends; and 
consult with experts and practitioners for information and expertise 
pertinent to Committee duties and priorities as needed. The ACA will 
submit to the Secretary an interim report with recommendations on the 
following:
    1. the development and implementation of policies, legislation, and 
regulations affecting the National Registered Apprenticeship system;
    2. strategies to expand apprenticeships into new industries and 
sectors including, but not limited to, cybersecurity, clean energy, 
advanced manufacturing, information technology, and healthcare;
    3. identify partnerships that can help ensure equitable access and 
expand participation of nontraditional apprenticeship populations and 
communities; and
    4. develop a plan to convene sector leaders and experts to 
establish specific frameworks of industry recognized occupational 
standards.
    The ACA will submit to the Secretary no later than June 1 of every 
odd-numbered year its report which provides advice and recommendations 
on the following:
    1. strategies to expand, modernize, and diversify the National 
Apprenticeship model;
    2. recommendations on how to streamline and increase flexibility to 
ensure the National Apprenticeship system can better meet the current 
and future workforce needs; and
    3. recommendations to ensure equitable access for all workers to 
participate and succeed in National Apprenticeship system.
    The ACA will consist of a range or 27-30 voting members that 
represent labor, employers, and the public:
     Employers or Industry Associations
     Labor or Joint Labor-Management Organizations
     Members of the Public, that represent one of the 
following: State apprenticeship agencies/councils; State or local 
workforce development board; community-based organizations; career and 
technical education schools, or local educational agency; postsecondary 
education and training providers; providers of industry recognized 
credentials; apprenticeship intermediaries; or active or recently 
completed youth apprentices (age 16-24).
    The ACA will be solely advisory in nature, and will consider 
testimony, reports, comments, research, evidence, and existing 
practices as appropriate to develop recommendations for inclusion in 
its final reports to the Secretary. Members of the ACA serve without 
compensation, but will be allowed travel expenses, including per diem 
in lieu of subsistence, to the extent permitted by law for persons 
serving intermittently in the Government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707), 
consistent with the availability of funds. Each ACA member will serve 
at the pleasure of the Secretary for a specified term. The Secretary 
may also appoint members to fill any ACA vacancies for the unexpired 
portions of the term.
    Nomination Process: Any interested person or organization may 
nominate one or more qualified individuals for membership on the ACA. 
If you would like to nominate yourself or another person for 
appointment to the ACA, you must include the following information as 
part of the application:
     A copy of the nominee's resume;
     A cover letter that provides your reason(s) for nominating 
the individual, including a description of the relevant experience and 
subject-matter expertise of that person concerning the development of a 
skilled workforce through quality apprenticeship programs, and the 
member category or categories for which the individual would like to be 
considered;
     If the nominee is an active or recently completed youth 
apprentices (age 16-24), you must include a letter of support from your 
apprenticeship sponsor where you are currently enrolled or recently 
completed your apprenticeship; and
     Contact information for the nominee (name, title, business 
address, business phone, fax number, and business email address).
    In addition, the cover letter must represent that the ACA nominee 
has agreed to be nominated and is willing to serve on the ACA. Please 
do not include any information in your nomination submission that you 
do not want publicly disclosed. In selecting ACA members, the Secretary 
will consider individuals nominated in response to this Federal 
Register notice, as well as other qualified individuals. Nominees will 
be appointed based upon their demonstrated qualifications, professional 
experience, and demonstrated knowledge of issues related to the scope 
and purpose of the ACA, as well as the need to obtain a diverse range 
of views on this important subject.

Suzan G. LeVine,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-09267 Filed 5-3-21; 8:45 am]
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