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OPA News Release: [01/06/2003]
Contact Name: Mina
Nguyen
Phone Number: (202) 693-6000
U.S. Department of Labor and FAPAC to Expand Outreach in
Asian Pacific American Community
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Labor will be working with
Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) to broaden its outreach to the
Asian Pacific American (APA) community. As part of this agreement, FAPAC will
distribute education and training materials at their regular meetings and via
their Web site and will recruit community members to participate in relevant
Department of Labor initiatives.
“FAPAC can serve a critical role in communicating information and
resources available at the Department of Labor to the APA community,” said
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “I am committed to workforce
diversity and better equipping minorities as managers and leaders in the
21st century workforce. This new alliance will enable more Asian
Pacific Americans to access training materials and develop skills critical to
their advancement.”
FAPAC will work with the Labor Department to address the significant
human capital shortage that is anticipated as the baby boomer generation
retires over the next five years. Currently, APAs are only 2.1 percent of
federal workers serving in the senior executive levels. FAPAC will help the
Department of Labor to identify and train Asian Pacific Americans for
leadership and management positions in the workforce.
Secretary Chao, the first Asian American woman to serve in the Cabinet,
hosted the first Asian Pacific American Federal Career Advancement Summit in
May 2002. The Department of Labor will sponsor the second such summit in May
2003, working with FAPAC to expand programming and training workshops and to
reach a broader audience. These summits and the other cooperative efforts
underway with FAPAC reflect Secretary Chao’s emphasis on enhancing the
Department of Labor’s minority-focused outreach and career development
initiatives.
The Department of Labor currently boasts the largest number of Asian
Pacific American appointees—14, including three Presidential appointments
with Senate confirmation. President George W. Bush has appointed a historic
number of 19 Americans of Asian Pacific descent to serve in the Cabinet or in
sub-Cabinet positions and more than 90 appointees throughout his
Administration.
FAPAC is a national organization that promotes awareness of Asian
Pacific Americans within the federal and District of Columbia governments.
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