H-2816.3  _______________________________________________

            SUBSTITUTE HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 4403

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By House Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Representatives Carlson, Conway, Kenney, Dickerson, Ogden, Keiser, Radcliff, Mason, Regala, Costa, Lantz, Cooper, Tokuda and Butler)

Read first time 04/02/97.

Withholding approval of the recommendations of the 1996 update of the Work Force Training and Education Coordinating Board's comprehensive plan.

    WHEREAS, Chapter 238, Laws of 1991, created the work force training and education coordinating board to provide planning, coordination, evaluation, monitoring, and policy analysis for the state training system as a whole, and advice to the governor and legislature concerning the state training system, in cooperation with the agencies that comprise the state training system, and the higher education coordinating board; and

    WHEREAS, Section 2, Chapter 130, Laws of 1995, requires the board to update the state comprehensive plan for work force training and education every two years and requires the legislature, following public hearings, to approve or make changes to the updates; and

    WHEREAS, The work force training and education coordinating board has identified work force development goals, performance indicators, standards, and evaluation measures in its work force plan; and

    WHEREAS, It is critical that in order to successfully implement the comprehensive plan, it must include specific recommendations from the work force training and education coordinating board on the identification, modification, consolidation, initiation, or elimination of work force training and education programs in the state; and

    WHEREAS, The legislature finds that the absence of these recommendations prohibits an accurate assessment of the effectiveness of the work force training system and inhibits evaluation of the potential for success of the comprehensive plan; and

    WHEREAS, That under the plan, the current structure of our work force training system remains fragmented and lacks coordination of financial and human resources essential to effective administration and efficiency within the system; and

    WHEREAS, It is the legislature's desire that the work force training and education system developed in this state operates under the highest level of efficiency and effectiveness standards, maximizing available resources and increasing client satisfaction;

    NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, the Senate concurring, That the legislature supports the continued efforts of the work force development system partners to fulfill their commitments to the recommendations of the plan pending its adoption by the legislature; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the members of the work force training and education coordinating board be commended for their dedication and commitment to the State of Washington in producing the 1996 update of Washington's comprehensive plan for work force training and education titled "High Skills, High Wages"; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the legislature appreciates the diligence of the board in drafting this plan, but prefers to approve it in conjunction with action taken on the board reports and recommendations required under House Bill No. 2211.

                            --- END ---