Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research | BILL ANALYSIS |
Labor & Workforce Development Committee |
SSB 5754
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: Concerning integrated career learning opportunities and employment training for at-risk youth.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Litzow, McAuliffe, Kohl-Welles, Conway and Kline; by request of Governor Inslee).
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill |
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Hearing Date: 3/21/13
Staff: Trudes Tango (786-7384).
Background:
Career and Technical Education Programs and Skill Centers.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are planned programs of courses and learning experiences offered by high schools in partnership with skill centers. Every school district offers some form of the CTE program services. The CTE programs are overseen by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The CTE programs offer work-based learning activities such as internships, career mentors, job shadowing, and field trips to worksites.
A skill center is a regional CTE partnership operated by a host school district. Skill centers provide access to industry-defined career and technical programs of study that prepare students for careers, employment, apprenticeships, and postsecondary education. Skill centers may enter into agreements with high schools to provide high school completion programs, and with community and technical colleges to provide industry certification and credentialing.
Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board.
The Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (Workforce Training Board) provides planning, coordination, evaluation, monitoring, and policy analysis for the state workforce training system. The Workforce Training Board also advises the Legislature and the Governor on workforce development policy.
Summary of Bill:
The Legislature intends to improve outcomes for young adults, specifically those at risk of not completing high school or those who have already dropped out of high school, through strategies integrating education with skills training and work experience.
Subject to funds specifically appropriated, the Alliance for Student Success in Education and Training (ASSET) Program is created to increase access to work-integrated learning opportunities, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. "Work-integrated learning opportunities" include, but are not limited to: paid and unpaid internships and work experience; youth apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships; advising and mentoring; simulated or virtual workplace experiences; visits to worksites; and job shadowing.
The ASSET Program is also intended to encourage the development of forums in local communities through increased public-private partnerships for the exchange of ideas, innovations, and expertise among local businesses, local business organizations, labor organizations, public schools, apprenticeship councils, and institutions of higher education.
The Workforce Training Board must administer the ASSET Program. In collaboration with business and labor organizations and state education and workforce agencies, the Workforce Training Board must:
develop technical assistance materials for employers and schools;
develop a web-based matching and communications system accessible to schools, service providers, and students for employers to post work-integrated learning opportunities; and
designate up to eight workforce development councils as pilot regional coordinators for the ASSET Program through a competitive matching grant application process.
The regional program coordinators must work with state education and workforce agencies to:
serve as a clearinghouse for summer and year-round youth employment and work-integrated learning opportunities for students in the region;
actively recruit employers and leverage resources to implement and sustain the ASSET Program, in collaboration with business and labor organizations;
disseminate technical assistance materials;
work with public schools, institutions of higher education, apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, and workforce training programs to develop internship, mentoring, and advising opportunities;
encourage the use of the web-based system; and
report annually to the Workforce Training Board.
The Workforce Training Board, in consultation with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, must design and implement a performance monitoring system to track the outcomes of the ASSET Program. The Workforce Training Board must submit an annual performance report on the ASSET Program to the Legislature and the Governor beginning in December 2015.
A null and void clause is included.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.