The White House announced a plan on Thursday to combine the Education and Labor departments to form the Department of Education and the Workforce.

The Office of Management and Budget said the proposal would "allow the Federal government to address the educational and skill needs of American students and workers in a coordinated way, eliminating duplication of effort."



It's unclear whether the restructuring will make it through Congress, which must approve the plan. Republicans have sought similar measures, unsuccessfully, at least twice since Congress established the department in 1980.



OMB deputy director Margaret Weichert told reporters following the announcement that the combination would allow the government to better prepare young people to enter the work force.

Asked about whether the combination would be feasible, Weichert pointed to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce as an example of the government already combining the two functions under one entity.