HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1336

As Reported by House Committee On:

College & Workforce Development

Title: An act relating to expanding career connected learning opportunities.

Brief Description: Expanding career connected learning opportunities.

Sponsors: Representatives Slatter, Harris, Sells, Orwall, Steele, Ormsby, Robinson, Dolan, Pollet, Ryu, Valdez, Thai, Stanford, Jinkins, Leavitt and Wylie; by request of Office of the Governor.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

College & Workforce Development: 1/22/19, 2/13/19 [DPS].

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 16 members: Representatives Hansen, Chair; Entenman, Vice Chair; Leavitt, Vice Chair; Van Werven, Ranking Minority Member; Gildon, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Graham, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Bergquist, Kraft, Mead, Paul, Pollet, Ramos, Rude, Sells, Slatter and Young.

Staff: Trudes Tango (786-7384).

Background:

Career Connect Washington.

Career connected learning (CCL) focuses on combining classroom learning and work-based learning and can range from job shadowing to registered apprenticeships. In 2017 the Governor created the Career Connect Washington Task Force (CCW) to develop strategies for expanding CCL. The CCW task force members included representatives from business, labor, state government, nonprofit organizations, and education. The CCW task force issued its recommendation in 2018, which focused on building community, education, and industry partnerships; ensuring students have more access to CCL opportunities, including registered apprenticeships; and building a systemic strategic plan to better connect Washington's youth with the education and training needed to fill employment gaps.

Apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship programs enable individuals to learn trades and occupations through on-the-job training and "related supplemental instruction." Apprentices earn wages while learning their trade or occupation. The Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council within the Department of Labor and Industries establishes program standards, approves training programs, issues completion certificates, offers advice and guidance on apprenticeships, and otherwise governs the programs.

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Summary of Substitute Bill:

The Legislature intends to create a statewide, sustainable career connected learning (CCL) system. Career connected learning is defined as a learning experience, integrated with work-related content and skills in the following three categories: (1) career awareness and exploration; (2) career preparation; and (3) Career Launch. Career Launch programs (CLPs) are registered apprenticeship programs that combine: supervised paid work experience; aligned classroom learning to academic and employer standards; and culmination in a credential beyond a high school diploma or 45 college credits towards a two-year or four-year postsecondary credential.

Cross-Agency Work Group.

The CCL cross-agency work group ("work group") is created to coordinate agency functions and external partnerships. The work group must consist of, but is not limited to, representatives from: (1) the departments of Labor and Industries, Social and Health Services, and Employment Security; (2) the Education Research and Data Center of the Office of Financial Management (OFM); (3) the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI); (4) the State Board of Education; (5) the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC); (6) the Washington Student Achievement Council; (7) the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (WTB); (8) one representative of public baccalaureate institutions; (9) one representative of the independent four-year institutions; and (10) the Office of the Governor.

The work group must, among other things: (1) create clear guidance for endorsing CLPs; (2) implement marketing and communications; (3) mobilize private sector and philanthropic resources; (4) create a statewide inventory that identifies existing programs ; (5) develop websites and resources and coordinate existing resources; (6) develop financial support services to increase access for students facing barriers and in underserved communities; (7) address transfer and articulation issues and work to expand portability of credits; (8) establish targets for equity; (9) develop data systems and protocols for evaluation purposes; and (10) make budget recommendations to the OFM.

Regarding budget recommendations, the work group must direct resources that, among other things: (1) support the K-12 system and the OSPI to increase student participation in CCL programs; (2) support expansion of programs for registered apprenticeships, year-round and summer programs, and equitable access to dual credit; and (3) support higher education institutions to build capacity at community and technical colleges, align the use of work-study with registered apprenticeships, and clarify financial aid issues for CLPs and registered apprenticeships.

The work group is also responsible for: (1) supporting the formation of regional networks to guide CCL opportunities tailored to the local needs of students and employers; and (2) developing a data enclave to measure progress and ensure equity of opportunity, led by the OFM's Education Research and Data Center.

The work group must meet at least six times during the calendar year and report its progress annually to the Governor and appropriate committees of the Legislature.

Grant Program.

The CCL grant program is established to be administered by the Employment Security Department (ESD). The Office of the Governor must work with the ESD to establish grant criteria and guide the process for selection, in consultation with the work group. The purpose of the grant program is to create CCL opportunities that are locally tailored, across industries statewide, to provide students credit towards a degree. Grants funds must be used to: (1) support regional networks in both rural and urban areas; and (2) support program intermediaries partnering with multiple employers, labor partners, and educational sectors to develop curricula for CCL programs.

Eligible applicants may include new or existing industry associations, joint labor management councils, regional networks, postsecondary education and training institutions working with multiple employer partners, and other community organizations. Program intermediaries must work with regional networks, CCL coordinators, and industry and education partners to build curricula for CCL programs. Curricula created with public funds may be open source curricula, if appropriate.

Regional networks may include regional education networks, school districts, educational service districts, higher education institutions, workforce development councils, chambers of commerce, industry associations, joint labor management councils, multiemployer training partnerships, economic development councils, and nonprofit organizations.

Career Connected Learning in K-12 and Higher Education.

Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, school districts must be funded up to 1.2 full-time equivalents for career launch programs, to allow students to engage in learning outside the school day or in a summer program.

Subject to amounts appropriated, the SBCTC and the public 4-year institutions of higher education must employ CCL coordinators that coordinate with regional networks and program intermediaries. The CCL coordinators must engage faculty and institution leadership to, among other things, create new program curricula and opportunities and expand the number of CCL program credits that may be transferred between degree programs in the different sectors.

The WTB must ensure that the expansion of K-12 and postsecondary opportunities for CCL is incorporated into the state plan adopted for federal Perkins funding.

Other.

The CCL account is created in the state treasury.

The Marysville School District, in collaboration with Everett Community College, Arlington School District, other local school districts, local labor unions, and local industry groups, must develop the Regional Apprenticeship Pathways program. The apprenticeship preparation program must prepare individuals for registered apprenticeship programs within the building and construction trades by providing preferred or direct entry into a registered apprenticeship. The apprenticeship preparation program must also provide dual credit by meeting high school graduation requirements and credit leading to a college credential.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:

The substitute bill: (1) amends the intent section to specify "career connected learning opportunities" (not just career launch and registered apprenticeship) regarding where resources are directed; (2) specifies that career launch programs are state approved registered apprenticeships (rather than also apprenticeships approved by the federal agency); (3) specifies that curricula created with public funds may be open-source (rather than all curricula) if appropriate and not in conflict with contracts or other law; (4) clarifies that for career launch programs that are initiated in the secondary education system and completed in postsecondary education or in the first year of paid employment, all parties must jointly plan the program; (5) makes explicit that employment laws for minors apply, and clarifies language regarding youth participation in registered apprenticeships; (6) specifies that the institutions of higher education must employ CCL coordinators (removes the option of contracting with coordinators) and specifies that employment of coordinators are for the purposes of scaling up career launch opportunities; (7) allows the cross-agency work group to establish subcommittees; (8) adds the Regional Apprenticeship Pathways program; and (9) makes other technical changes for clarity.

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Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) There will be over 700,000 job openings in Washington in the next few years and students are not qualified or even aware of those jobs.  Some students are not clear on how their education can help them get ready for work.  Career Connect Washington is a vision to find the best way to fill opportunity gaps.  Applied experiences lead to stronger paths to success.  The CCW vision leverages existing programs, establishes a common language around CCL, uses regional networks to identify gaps, and seeks an outcome of 4,000 new apprenticeship type opportunities.  This bill will provide seed funding for connecting the K-12 system with the community and technical colleges.  Colleges need funding and support for additional faculty and program managers to support the kinds of students that employers need.  Regional networks help programs come together and help develop local leadership in the system.  There is a need to engage students at the youngest possible age and have them start thinking about what they can do after high school.  The CCL programs help show students what their options look like.  These programs provide students meaningful connections with businesses.  This system needs to maintain emphasis on multiple pathways, not just apprenticeships, and involve folks from all different industries. 

(Opposed) None.

(Other) The bill should specifically mention people who have aged out of the high school system. 

Persons Testifying: (In support) Representative Slatter, prime sponsor; Maud Daudon, Career Connect Washington; Ben Bagherpour and Nathaniel Salveta, Shin-Etsu Handotai; Bob Knight and Sachi Horback, Clark College; Reneece Bailey; Cassidy Peterson, West Valley School District; Todd Mielke and Vicki Leifer, Greater Spokane Incorporated; Courtney Smith, Kaiser Permanente; Lindsey Grad, Service Employees International Union; Amy Anderson, Association of Washington Business; Neil Strege, Washington Roundtable; Joe Kendo, Washington State Labor Council; David Beard, School's Out Washington; Rene Murray, Youth Development Executives of King County; Alec Orwall; LeAsia Johnson, Seattle Goodwill; Andy Shouse and Ted Felle, Washington Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics; Lynn Strickland, Aerospace Joint Apprentice Committee; Michele Willms, Associated General Contractors; Randy Spaulding, State Board of Education; Carolyn Logue, South Sound Chamber of Commerce Legislative Coalition; Rebecca Wallace, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction; Eleni Papadakis and Sandra Mille, Workforce Board; Antonio Sanchez, Central Washington University; Carli Schiffner, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; and Paul Francis, Council of Presidents.

(Other) Jeff Gombosky, Graduation Alliance.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.