Title: An act relating to entrepreneurial training opportunities.

Brief Description: Concerning entrepreneurial training opportunities.

Sponsors: Senators Brown, Fairley, Eide, Keiser, McAuliffe and Kohl-Welles.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: International Trade & Economic Development: 1/26/06, 1/31/06 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by Senators Shin, Chair; Sheldon, Vice Chair; Pflug, Ranking Minority Member; Doumit, Eide, Roach and Zarelli.

Staff: Jack Brummel (786-7428)

Background: The Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board was created by the Legislature in 1991 in an effort to make the state's workforce education and training system better coordinated, more efficient, more responsive to the needs of business and workers and local communities, and more accountable for its performance. Among the current responsibilities of the board is the development of coordination criteria for activities under the federal Job Training Partnership Act. This federal law was replaced with the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) in 1998.

There is no mention of entrepreneurial training or education among the Workforce Board's current list of duties. Entrepreneurial training is a permitted training service under WIA, and self-employment is an allowable employment outcome. There are a number of entrepreneurial and microenterprise training programs in the state

Summary of Bill: The workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board is to develop policy objectives for WIA in the state and ensure that entrepreneurial training opportunities are available through programs of each local work force investment board in the state. The board is also to facilitate the development of programs for school-to-work transition that include entrepreneurial education and training.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: This updates our Workforce Training Boards so entrepreneurial training and education can be a track in our workforce training efforts. Small micro-businesses create jobs. This bill will remove a barrier to training for microenterprise development.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Senator Brown, prime sponsor; Teresa Lemmons, Metropolitan Development Council; Lisa Smith, Enterprise for Equity; Corrine Dee Kelly, Unitarian Universal Voice for Justice.