BILL REQ. #:  Z-0709.1 

Read first time 01/14/14.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

     WHEREAS, Chapter 238, Laws of 1991 created the workforce training and education coordinating board (workforce board) to provide planning, coordination, evaluation, and policy analysis for the state training system as a whole and to provide advice to the governor and the legislature concerning the training system in cooperation with the agencies that comprise the state training system and the student achievement council; and
     WHEREAS, The workforce board is made up of a unique partnership of business, labor, education, and training organizations dedicated to addressing the needs of Washington businesses and workers; and
     WHEREAS, The state faces the workforce challenges of: (1) An increasing number of jobs that call for higher levels of education and skills across a wide range of industries; and (2) Washington businesses that struggle to find workers with the skills needed to fill key openings, hampering their ability to be competitive in an increasingly global economy; and
     WHEREAS, RCW 28C.18.080 requires the board to update the state comprehensive plan for workforce training and education, called high skills high wages, every four years, and the plan was last updated in 2008; and
     WHEREAS, Students, workers, and employers have many different needs and requirements for workforce development. By viewing the workforce system as a series of interconnected pathways, with multiple options for workers and students to advance, the workforce board is able to outline strategies to strengthen these pathways so more Washington residents move ahead into high skill, high wage jobs, while also helping employers find the skilled workers they depend on; and
     WHEREAS, The purpose of the high skills high wages plan is to provide direction to the workforce development system. To meet the challenges of the next ten years, there needs to be a concerted effort on the part of all workforce system partners; and
     WHEREAS, The workforce board used an inclusive process of work groups, public hearings, and contact with workers and businesses to develop agreement on the strategies identified in the high skills high wages plan, and the workforce board secured the unanimous endorsement of critical constituencies, including business, labor, and the agencies delivering workforce services; and
     WHEREAS, This update of the high skills high wages plan takes a new look at chronic challenges and approaches common issues with a fresh eye; and
     WHEREAS, The state comprehensive plan has a ten-year horizon through 2022, and focuses on the following strategic opportunities:
     (1) Multiple pathways for initial careers: The multiple pathways approach expands beyond the traditional education experience to heighten a student's understanding of career opportunities, as well as the student's perception of how classroom learning relates to the world of work. This goal will be accomplished by:
     (a) Improving availability and quality of career and education guidance for students in middle school, high school, and postsecondary institutions. The high skills high wages plan recommends beginning career guidance at an earlier age, involving parents and guardians, and valuing all career paths.
     (b) Identifying, assessing, and certifying skills for successful careers by increasing workplace and life skills development for students, and encouraging the use of industry-based skill standards, assessments, and credentials.
     (c) Expanding programs of study that bring together a sequence of career-focused courses that start in high school and extend through college, and improving the transfer of credits earned in a student's program of study.
     (d) Increasing the number and types of workplace experiences available to students and out-of-school youth.
     (e) Addressing student access and retention by expanding high school dropout prevention and retrieval programs, increasing nontraditional opportunities to obtain postsecondary certificates and degrees, and providing new models of support and employment services, including special services for diverse populations with multiple barriers to education and training.
     (f) Prioritizing job search and placement for people into first careers by strengthening partnerships between the education and worksource systems to share job finding information and resources that teach students job search skills.
     (2) Multiple pathways for employers and workers that increase engagement in education and workforce training and better connect workers with high-wage careers and life-long learning. This goal will be accomplished by:
     (a) Increasing employer engagement with the workforce development system by improving outreach to employers through the use of materials designed and written with a business audience in mind, engaging employers in identifying skill standards and developing training programs that meet their needs, and increasing industry involvement in work-integrated learning and workforce training.
     (b) Promoting economic development by connecting workforce development with job creation and growth. Encourage investing in strategic economic opportunities and continue to develop and maintain special initiatives to address critical state and local economic opportunities.
     (c) Expanding and supporting learning opportunities for workers at all stages of their education or career paths.
     (d) Improving job search and placement services for unemployed and underemployed workers by addressing the quality and speed of job matching and referrals between job seekers and employers with job openings, and making job search and placement assistance more widely known and available.
     (3) Washington's workforce development system is a model of accountability and efficient coinvestment. The high skills high wages plan calls for improvements to the efficiency, transparency, and performance of Washington's workforce system to ensure that all aspects and components of the system work together effectively to meet the needs of job seekers and employers. This goal will be accomplished by:
     (a) Strengthening performance accountability across all workforce development partners by focusing on employment and earnings outcomes.
     (b) Establishing cost-effective coinvestment models across government funding streams and across the tri-partite spectrum of employers, workers, and the government. Reducing barriers to sharing or splitting funding across funding streams, and establishing cost-sharing practices and policies that stretch public dollars to serve the largest number of participants and attain the highest performance outcome levels; and
     WHEREAS, The provisions of the comprehensive plan and updates that are approved by the legislature become the state's workforce policy unless legislation is enacted to alter the policies set forth therein;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Washington, the House of Representatives concurring, hereby approve the state comprehensive plan for workforce training called "High Skills, High Wages."