PD_DOL_Assistant-Secretary-for-Employment-and-Training

Position Description

Assistant secretary for employment and training, Department of labor

Overview

Senate Committee

Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

Agency Mission

To foster and promote the welfare of job seekers, wage earners and retirees of the United States by improving their working conditions, advancing their opportunities for profitable employment and protecting benefits

Position Overview

The assistant secretary for employment and training leads the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) in its mission to address our nation’s workforce needs through high-quality training and employment programs.

Compensation

Level IV $155,500 (5 U.S.C. § 5315)¹ _{The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31, May 5, 2017), contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials at 2013 levels during calendar year 2017.}

Position Reports to

Secretary of Labor

Responsibilities

Management Scope

The Employment and Training Administration had a fiscal 2016 total enacted budget of $234.9 billion[footnoteRef:1] and 1,079 full-time equivalents. The assistant secretary has a chief of staff, a senior policy advisor, a policy advisor, three deputy assistant secretaries and six regional administrators.² _{The information for ETA reflects those accounts that fund FTE. https://www.doleta.gov/pdf/OrgChart.pdf}

Primary Responsibilities

® Oversees the formulation of, and executes, the nation’s employment and training policies, programs and systems
® Oversees and administers the nation’s apprenticeship, work training, employment security, unemployment insurance and related programs with focus on the needs of employers and dislocated, unemployed and underemployed citizens
® Contributes to the more efficient functioning of the U.S. labor market by leading efforts to provide high-quality job training, employment, labor market information and income maintenance service, primarily through state and local unemployment insurance and workforce development systems
® Leads and monitors progress of, the ETA’s programs supporting the nation’s workforce systems, and keeps the secretary and deputy secretary of labor informed of the achievement of the high-priority objectives
® Represents the secretary, deputy secretary and ETA in meetings with top-level officials of the Department of Labor, other federal agencies, state and local government, private and public organizations, and international organizations, to present their views and provide information and explanations concerning the policies, programs and positions of ETA
® Represents ETA in meetings with members of Congress and their staffs, White House staff, national labor unions, and state elected bodies to communicate and interpret the significance of ETA policies, goals and objectives

Strategic Goals and Priorities

[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration]

Requirements and Competencies

Requirements

® Experience and demonstrated ability managing employment or unemployment insurance programs at the state level (strongly recommended)
® Experience and demonstrated ability working with or in state or local government (recommended)
® Experience managing large federal intergovernmental programs (strongly recommended)
® Previous management experience at the CEO or COO level (strongly recommended)

Competencies

® Strong interpersonal and communication skills

Past Appointees

Portia Wu (2014 to 2017): Special Assistant to the President for Labor and Workforce Policy, White House Domestic Policy Council; Labor Policy Director and General Counsel³ _{https://www.doleta.gov/etainfo/Portia_Wu.cfm}
Jane Oates (2009 to 2013): Executive Director of the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and Senior Advisor to Governor Jon S. Corzine; Senior Policy Advisor for Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy⁴ _{http://www.businessfwd.org/speakers/jane-oates}
Emily Stover DeRocco (2001 to 2008): Executive Director/COO, National Association of State Workforce Agencies⁵ _LinkedIn
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