Assistant Secretary Brenda Dann-Messier, who heads the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, will serve as a special guest for the NBC News Education Nation Job One Panel examining workforce readiness Thursday at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.
During the hour-long program which begins at 7 p.m. ET, business executives and civic leaders will talk about the importance of educating America's students to compete in the global economy. Dann-Messier will be seated in the front row and called on as a leader in education.
Moderated by CNBC's Maria Bartiromo with Philadelphia NBC 10's Lori Wilson, the discussion will reflect on the current state of the labor market as well as the skills and knowledge required of the 21st century workforce.
The program will be televised live on Philadelphia Nonstop (Digital Channel 10.2, Comcast 248, and Verizon 460) and streamed live on EducationNation.com and NBCPhiladelphia.com.
Assistant Secretary Dann-Messier leads the Education Department's efforts in adult education and career and technical education, as well as community colleges and correctional education. She oversees 11 grant programs in those areas, totaling more than $1.9 billion annually.