PURPOSE.

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; 108 STAT. 192 (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.