Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

College & Workforce Development Committee

E2SSB 5327

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Description: Expanding career connected learning opportunities.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Wellman, Zeiger, Keiser, Palumbo, Hunt, Rivers, Hawkins, Warnick, Carlyle, Conway, Dhingra, Frockt, Kuderer, Saldaña and Wagoner; by request of Office of the Governor).

Brief Summary of Engrossed Second Substitute Bill

  • Creates a multi-agency work group to coordinate career connected learning (CCL) opportunities, collect data, provide recommendations, and perform other duties.

  • Creates a competitive grant program to support regional networks and program intermediaries in expanding CCL opportunities.

  • Requires school districts to be funded up to 1.2 full-time equivalents for students in certain CCL programs, subject to amounts appropriated.

  • Requires the institutions of higher education to have CCL coordinators to engage faculty and institutional leadership in expanding the number of certain CCL programs, subject to amounts appropriated.

Hearing Date: 3/19/19

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.

Summary of Bill:

The Legislature intends to create a statewide, sustainable CCL system. Career connected learning means 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. 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) the public baccalaureate institutions; (9) the independent four-year institutions; (10) the Office of the Governor; (11) the Office of the Lieutenant Governor; (12) organizations representing the trades in the construction industry; and (13) a business involved in the construction industry.

Subject to amounts appropriated, the work group must, among other things: (1) create guidance for endorsing CLPs; (2) implement marketing and communications; (3) mobilize private sector and philanthropic resources; (4) create a statewide inventory of existing programs; (5) develop websites and resources; (6) develop financial support services for underserved communities; (7) address transfer and articulation issues and work to expand portability of credits, in coordination with the Complete Washington Program when appropriate; (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; 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 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 per 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 selection process, in consultation with the work group.

Grant funds must: (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.

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.

Eligible applicants may include new or existing industry associations, state agencies, 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 are open source curricula.

Career Connected Learning in K-12 and Higher Education.

Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, and subject to amounts appropriated, school districts must be funded up to 1.2 full-time equivalents for CLPs, to allow students to engage in learning outside the school day or in a summer program.

The nine K-12 Educational Service Districts must each employ one full-time equivalent employee to convene and manage regional, cross-industry networks that will lead to the expansion of CCL opportunities.

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.

Other.

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.

The CCL account is created in the State Treasury.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

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