Brief Description: Creating a committee on the education of students in high demand fields.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Senators Shin, Delvin, Berkey, Sheldon, Tom, Oemig, Rasmussen, Pridemore, Roach, Jacobsen and Kohl-Welles).

Senate Committee on Higher Education
House Committee on Higher Education

Background: The state of Washington leads the nation in providing employment for people with baccalaureate degrees, but only ranks 36th in the nation in the production of degrees. Beginning in 2007, it is estimated that for job openings in Washington that require a bachelor's degree, 47 percent will be in fields identified as high demand or high impact, but that only 14 percent of Washington students each year graduate with degrees in one of these fields.

Summary: A committee on the education of students in high demand fields is established. The committee consists of: (1) two members of the House of Representatives; (2) two members of the Senate; (3) one person representing the Higher Education Coordinating Board; (4) one person representing the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; (5) one person representing the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board; (6) one person representing the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; and (7) one person representing each of the following: the labor council; the council of presidents; the prosperity partnership; the council of faculty representatives; an employer; and a graduate student member of the Washington student lobby.

The committee: (1) develops a plan to increase the capacity of Washington institutions of higher education by 10,000 students per year by 2020 to produce degrees in high impact, high demand areas of study; (2) develops a marketing project to inform students, parents, and educators of opportunities in high demand fields; (3) investigates ways to motivate students to take more mathematics and science courses; and (4) identifies ways that the business community can enter into more partnerships with the state to ensure that Washington institutions of higher education produce graduates in high demand fields that are ready and able to find employment in Washington. The committee reports its findings and recommendations to the Legislature by December 1, 2007.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      48   0
House      97   0   (House amended)
Senate      46   1   (Senate concurred)

Effective:   July 22, 2007