BILL REQ. #: H-1781.1
State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2011 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/17/11.
AN ACT Relating to internship opportunities; adding a new section to chapter 28C.18 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that the economic
crisis has presented many challenges for youth seeking employment and
that many Washington businesses cannot find prospective employees with
adequate job skills training in required areas. The legislature
intends to overcome these challenges through innovative solutions that
maximize existing resources to provide opportunities for job seekers to
develop and hone their skills, and for employers to leverage public
resources to grow their industry.
Higher education has become the focal point for thousands of
Washington residents who wish to access high-skill, high-wage, and
high-demand job opportunities. Many graduates, especially among
younger generations, are finding that to be competitive for their
desired career requires more than just a degree. Just as
extracurricular activities increase a student's competitiveness in the
college admissions process, internships that develop strong skill sets
and work habits increase an applicant's competitiveness in the hiring
process. Engagement in experiential learning provides students an
opportunity to apply what is learned in the classroom in a workplace
setting and build confidence in their abilities.
Students gain more than just a greater understanding of their
future career; they start to build a professional network that allows
them to draw on their connections after graduation to find job openings
and to act as references attesting to their character and competencies.
These connections are symbiotic in nature.
Businesses that provide internship opportunities help to develop
their future talent pool of potential employees and increase the skill
base for their industry overall. The connections developed through
internships also have the potential to increase an industry's
visibility and student interest for in-demand occupations, as well as
assist businesses in expanding or enhancing aspects of their operations
that may be lacking in areas of a given student's skill set developed
in the classroom.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 28C.18 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) The board shall create a unified, profile-based web application
that provides a forum for students and employers to develop networks
and match prospective interns with internship opportunities.
(2) Within the web application, students and employers may enter
information designed to provide criteria that create a profile for
matching potential interns with internship opportunities. The
application must give students the option of submitting matches to
academic or career advisors at the institution they attend.
(3) The web application must match the profiles of potential
interns and compatible employers, provide interns and employers with
lists of potential matches, and allow access to the profiles of the
matches.
(4) The board may solicit and receive gifts, grants, and bequests
and enter into contribution agreements with private entities and public
entities to receive moneys for the purposes of developing the web
application.
(5) Implementation of this section is subject to funding for this
specific purpose in the omnibus appropriations act or as provided in
subsection (4) of this section.