[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 41 (Monday, October 16, 2000)]
[Pages 2457-2459]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Memorandum on Preparing American Youth for 21st Century College and 
Careers

October 13, 2000

Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies

Subject: Preparing American Youth for 21st Century College and Careers

    Six years ago, I signed into law the School-to-Work Opportunities 
Act of 1994 to expand career and educational opportunities for our 
youth. A one-time Federal investment to jump-start State and local 
education improvement and workforce development efforts, the initiative 
will end next October after helping raise the academic performance of 
millions of students.
    States and schools have used School-to-Work resources to help 
students achieve high

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academic and industry-recognized occupational standards; encourage 
community and business involvement in our schools; and integrate 
technical and academic education. Through innovative learning strategies 
like strengthened curricula, work-based learning, internships, and 
career academies, School-to-Work has made learning more relevant to the 
challenges students will face after high school graduation.
    Research shows that School-to-Work students take more challenging 
classes, earn higher grades, and are more likely to graduate from high 
school and enroll in college. In particular, School-to-Work programs 
such as career academies have improved the academic achievement of 
students who are most likely to drop out of school. School-to-Work helps 
students see the relevance of their studies for their futures, 
motivating them to attend classes and study hard, and has created 
thousands of new partnerships between businesses and schools.
    But the need for highly skilled and educated workers has only grown 
in the past few years. Information Age jobs require more skills and 
knowledge, much of which was unknown only a decade ago. More than four-
fifths of manufacturers use computers in design or manufacturing, and 
nine-tenths of them report difficulties in finding qualified job 
candidates. The number of jobs that require a college degree is growing 
twice as fast as the number of other jobs. In these strong economic 
times, the National Association of Manufacturers describes the shortage 
of skilled workers as ``the only dark cloud hanging over our future.''
    As the School-to-Work legislation nears its conclusion, the Federal 
Government must prepare to continue its support of State and local 
efforts that prepare our youth for postsecondary education and careers. 
To build upon the lessons of School-to-Work program and coordinate the 
efforts of Federal programs to prepare youth for their futures, I hereby 
establish the National Task Force on Preparing Youth for 21st Century 
College and Careers. The Task Force will examine how a coordinated 
Federal policy can help all youth prepare for future careers in a 
rapidly changing, technologically driven economy.
    The Task Force shall be co-chaired by the Secretaries of Education 
and Labor. Other members of the Task Force shall include the Secretary 
of Housing and Urban Development, the Attorney General, the Secretary of 
Defense, the Secretary of Commerce, the Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget, and other executive branch officials as 
determined by the co-chairs. The Department of Labor shall provide 
funding and administrative support for the Task Force.
    The Task Force shall, to the extent permitted by law:
    1. promote coordination and collaboration among Federal agencies 
      seeking to improve the academic achievement and career preparation 
      of America's youth;
    2. continue existing efforts to involve businesses and community 
      organizations in improving the education and training of our 
      youth;
    3. promote sustainable School-to-Work reforms in interested States 
      and encourage the effective utilization of Federal School-to-Work 
      funding through outreach, technical assistance, and dissemination 
      of research findings and best practices;
    4. help State and local agencies locate resources, including Federal 
      resources, for initiatives that build on their School-to-Work 
      efforts;
    5. report to the President, through the Director of the National 
      Economic Council and the Director of the Domestic Policy Council, 
      no later than January 15, 2001, on:
(a)         the ways in which the School-to-Work Opportunities Act has 
            improved students' academic performance and career 
            readiness, including community involvement, integration of 
            academic and occupational curricula and standards, small 
            learning communities, career development, application of 
            academic and technical knowledge and skills in the 21st 
            century workplace, development and utilization of industry-
            recognized portable credentials, and coordination of 
            secondary and postsecondary education;

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(b)         the extent to which States are preparing to sustain School-
            to-Work reforms as Federal support under the School-to-Work 
            Opportunities Act phases out;
(c)         measures the Federal Government can undertake to promote the 
            effectiveness of State and local School-to-Work reforms;
(d)         how the Departments of Education and Labor can build on the 
            School-to-Work program to collaborate and coordinate 
            critical programs that prepare youth for postsecondary 
            education and careers; and
(e)         other matters related to our youth's preparation for and 
            transition to postsecondary education and careers, as deemed 
            appropriate by the Task Force.
    6. Report to the President, through the Director of the National 
      Economic Council and the Director of the Domestic Policy Council, 
      no later than September 15, 2002, on:
(a)         updated and revised findings from the Task Force's January 
            2001 report;
(b)         how the efforts of Federal agencies to prepare our youth for 
            further education and careers, in addition to those efforts 
            of the Departments of Education and Labor, can be better 
            coordinated, be made more effective, and incorporate the 
            lessons learned from the School-to-Work program;
(c)         the gaps, if any, between current Federal activities and the 
            rapidly changing education and training needs of the 
            American economy, and how those gaps could be addressed by 
            Federal, State, or local governments or private 
            organizations;
(d)         how School-to-Work strategies can best prepare special 
            populations for college and careers, including individuals 
            who do not graduate from high school, ethnic minorities, 
            economically disadvantaged students, youths involved in the 
            juvenile justice system, and students with disabilities;
(e)         what, if any, critical needs exist for new data and research 
            related to improving the academic achievement and career 
            preparation of our Nation's youth; and
(f)         other matters related to our youth's preparation for and 
            transition to postsecondary education and careers, as deemed 
            appropriate by the Task Force.
    The Task Force shall terminate after it issues its final report to 
the President in September 2002.
                                            William J. Clinton