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Leaders representing Pledge to America’s Workers Presidential Award organizational winners pose at the White House.
Credit:
Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour
In July 2018, President Donald Trump launched the Pledge to America’s Workers initiative aimed at increasing the private sector’s role in training American workers for American jobs. By signing the pledge, organizations committed to creating new or enhanced education and training opportunities for American students and workers, and became eligible for an associated award (only organizations that signed the pledge were eligible). Since the pledge launch, more than 430 companies, trade associations, and unions have signed on, committing to over 16 million job training opportunities over the next five years.
Baldrige Framework Foundation
The Baldrige Program was asked to lead the effort to design and implement the new Pledge to America’s Workers Presidential Award, intended to recognize excellence in workforce education and training thereby encouraging other organizations to do the same. Collaboration and support came from the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Labor, and the White House.
Applicants were asked to demonstrate their excellence in skill-based training programs through measurable outcomes, how the training benefits workers in a strategic sector or across the organization, and how it connects to broader strategic priorities and performance goals. The training was expected to be free for participants, replicable, and scalable across the organization.
In addition to a non-rated Organizational Context section, the application was divided into three sections:
Workforce Development Strategy: Examines the organizational strategy and planning process that underlies the organization’s workforce planning and more specifically its skill-based training programs.
Workforce Development Implementation: Describes how the organization implements its skill-based training programs.
Workforce Development Results: Details the measurable outcomes and impact from the organization’s skill-based training programs and the use of evidence to continue developing those programs.
Federal employees, primarily pulled from the Departments of Commerce, Education, and Labor, comprised the evaluators for the award. A four-hour virtual training for evaluators used the 2018 Baldrige Case Study: Green Gateway.
The presidential award presented today is rooted in NIST's Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, which was established under President Reagan to acknowledge American businesses that adopt a wide range of industry best practices, including workforce education and training.
The Baldrige Program looks at organizations holistically, and it emphasizes the need to show actual results. Consistent with these principles, the nine Pledge to America's Workers Presidential Award Winners are delivering results to their workers. . . . Many have curricula that reach high school children to introduce them to new careers, as well as programs that help mature workers continue advancing in their careers.
Nine organizations won the inaugural Pledge to America’s Workers Presidential Award for their excellence in workforce education and training:
The Baldrige Foundation contributed the trophies for the inaugural Pledge to America’s Workers Presidential Award.American Hotel & Lodging Association
Associated Builders and Contractors
Lockheed Martin Corporation
National Retail Federation
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Oberg Industries, LLC
Textron Inc.
Volkswagen Group of America
Zurich North America
According to Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump, "Nine incredible organizations and of course private-sector companies who are receiving the inaugural Pledge to America's Workers prov[e] that investing in the workforce is the country's greatest asset by far and is not just an activity that feels good, it's also smart business…. [This is] accelerating the trend to make sure that the American worker has the skills for the jobs that exist today and the jobs of the future."
The Pledge Continues
To learn more about how your organization can sign the pledge, email WORKFORCEpledge [at] who.eop.gov (workforcepledge[at]who[dot]eop[dot]gov).
Dawn Bailey is a writer/editor for the Baldrige Program and involved in all aspects of communications, from leading the Baldrige Executive Fellows program to managing the direction of case studies, social media efforts, and assessment teams. She has more than 25 years of experience, 18 years at the Baldrige Program. Her background is in English and journalism, with degrees from the University of Connecticut and an advanced degree from George Mason University.
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