The private, non-profit Ad Council will soon launch a national campaign that will tout alternatives to a traditional bachelor’s degree.
The Ad Council declined to give details on the upcoming campaign or provide images, but stated in an email that the campaign “will shine a light on how young and working adults can develop the skills in demand for today’s job market.” The council’s promotions will reflect the work of the American Workforce Policy Board, which was established to examine multiple career pathways other than four-year degrees.
On July 19, 2018, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order establishing the President’s National Council for the American Worker. Its aim is to develop a national strategy for America’s students and workers to access education and job training that will address the country’s “skills crisis” and equip them for the global economy.
“The rapidly changing digital economy requires the United States to view education and training as encompassing more than a single period of time in a traditional classroom,” says the Council on its website.
Pursuant to the executive order, the American Workforce Policy Board was formed to provide advice and recommendations to the Council on ways to encourage both the private sector and educational institutions to address the skills crisis. This would include increasing new ways of education, training and re-training.
This advisory board/task force is headed by Ivanka Trump and includes individuals from private industry, government and higher education. Its two primary missions are to create a large-scale, year-long advertising campaign and to develop effective advocacy across a range of stakeholders.
Dr. Marianne H. Wanamaker, associate professor of economics at the University of Tennessee and a member of the task force, said that even as the U.S. moves to a more knowledge-based economy, the demand will still exist for workers with applied technical skills.
