(RNN) - The White House plans to propose merging the Department of Labor and the Department of Education on Thursday, both the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post reported.
The proposal would allow the administration to focus its efforts on student vocational training under one department, according to the Washington Post.
Congress would need to approve any such overhaul of federal agencies.
The Department of Education was created by President Jimmy Carter in 1980, and has since been a subject of ire among conservatives.
Its mission is "to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access."
The department establishes policies on federal financial aid for education, distributes as well as monitors funds, collects data on schools, distributes research and ensures equal access to education.
It is unclear which secretary would head the department.
Education Department Secretary Betsy DeVos was approved by a close vote in the Senate, with Vice President Mike Pence Mike Pence casting the deciding vote.
DeVos, an advocate of school choice, has faced criticism on some issues, including the fact that her school safety commission won't focus on guns despite recent school shootings, CNN reported.
Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, the son of Cuban refugees, previously served as the dean of FIU College of Law.
The Department of Labor's mission is "to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights."
Created by President William H. Taft in 1913, its purview includes worker training, statistics and occupational safety.
The White House proposal to merge the departments is expected to occur as part of a larger vision to overhaul the federal government, including shrinking some agencies and altering the missions of others.
It's part of a directive by Office of Management and Budget head Mick Mulvaney, urging leaders of federal agencies to find ways to streamline their efforts.
The government overhaul also is expected to alter the way the government provides safety-net benefits for low-income people, consolidating all such programs.
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