HOUSE BILL REPORT

ESB 6411

BYSenators Lee, Smitherman, Warnke, Bender and Rasmussen; by request of Governor

Establishing an employment training program.

House Committe on Trade & Economic Development

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  (13)

      Signed by Representatives Cantwell, Chair; Wineberry, Vice Chair; Doty, Ranking Republican Member; G. Fisher, Kirby, Kremen, Moyer, Raiter, Rasmussen, Rector, Schoon, Tate and Youngsman.

House Staff:Charlie Gavigan (786-7340)

Rereferred House Committee on Appropriations

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended by Committee on Trade & Economic Development as such amendment is amended by Committee on Appropriations.  (24)

      Signed by Representatives Locke, Chair; Grant, Vice Chair; H. Sommers, Vice Chair; Silver, Ranking Republican Member; Youngsman, Assistant Ranking Republican Member; Belcher, Bowman, Brekke, Brough, Dorn, Ebersole, Ferguson, Hine, Inslee, May, McLean, Nealey, Rust, Sayan, Spanel, Sprenkle, Valle, Wang and Wineberry.

House Staff:      Susan Nakagawa (786-7145)

AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 28, 1990

BACKGROUND:

Training and retraining programs are provided by the public sector at the federal, state, and local levels.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction: (1) provides Vocational Education Skills Centers; (2) provides K-12 vocational education; and (3) provides vocational education through Vocational Technical Institutes.  These are state funded programs.

The State Board for Community College Education provides vocational education through community colleges.  This is state funded.

The State Board for Vocational Education: (1) provides a Job Skills Program that is state funded; (2) administers an Education Cooperation and Grants Program funded federally through the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA); and (3) administers vocational education services funded federally through the Perkins Act.

The Washington Human Development Corporation provides employment services to migrant farm workers under the federal JTPA.

The Employment Security Department: (1) administers the Job Corps, which is funded federally under JTPA; (2) administers an Older Workers program, funded by the federal government; (3) provides the Washington Self-employment Demonstration, funded by the state; (4) administers the federal Targeted Job Tax Credit; (5) provides the Business and Minority Youth Internship Program, funded by the state; (6) provides the Washington Service Corps, funded by the state; (7) administers the Emergency Veterans Job Training Act, federally funded; (8) administers the Dislocated Worker Programs, funded federally under JTPA; and (9) administers the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, which is federally funded.

Local Private Industry Councils provide training services to low income youths and adults.  These programs are funded under the federal JTPA.

SUMMARY:

A study and evaluation of the present system for providing training and retraining services in Washington state is established.  Recommendations are to be made to the governor on how to improve the present system and meet the long-term training needs of Washington's work-force.  Pilot projects are established to test methods for integrating delivery systems and for improving the responsiveness of training programs.  The study, including recommendations, is due December 1, 1990.

The Office of Financial Management is to conduct a study that: (1) assesses the employment competency of the workforce, the skills needed by businesses, the gaps between the capabilities of the workforce and the skills needed by businesses, the demographics of the population needing training between now and the year 2010, the job readiness of K-12 graduates, and the current training appraisal systems of the state; and (2) inventories and analyzes the current training system and alternatives.  In addition, recommendations are to be made on reducing illiteracy, on governance issues regarding the Washington Institute of Applied Technology, vocational education, and vocational technical institutes, and on necessary changes in the training system.

The Office of Financial Management is to oversee four pilot training programs.  The programs are:

      (1)the provision of new programs responding to the needs of businesses in the workforce by community colleges;

      (2)the integration of adult education instruction with vocational-technical institute programs by the Superintendent of Public Instruction;

      (3)the provision of training and access to related services for dislocated workers of rural firms, including those in timber and wood products industries; and

      (4)the integration of training programs with programs for substance abuse prevention or treatment for youth.

Also, the superintendent of public instruction may make grants for vocational cooperative projects.  The superintendent must report to the Legislature by January 1, 1992, on these projects.

The advisory council on investment in human capital is created.  The council is to provide advice on (1) the study of the state's training needs and training delivery system, and (2) the pilot training programs.

The council consists of 10 voting members, including three representatives of business and three representatives of labor, and 10 non-voting members.  The non-voting members include representatives of the four major caucuses in the Legislature.  Non-legislative members are appointed by the governor.  The governor, or the governor's designee, is the non-voting chairperson of the advisory council.

Fiscal Note:      Available.

Effective Date:The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    (Trade & Economic Development) Senator Eleanor Lee, prime sponsor of original bill; Brent Knott, Association of Washington Pulp and Paper Workers (speaking for Chuck Bailey, Washington State Labor Council); Tim Strege, Council of Vocational Technical Institutes; Mark Allen, Washington Library Association; Cliff Finch, Association of Washington Business; Bob Dilger, Washington State Building Trades Council (with concerns); and Brian Wilson, Office of Financial Management.

(Appropriations) Brian Wilson, Office of Financial Management.

House Committee - Testified Against:      (Trade & Economic Development) No one.

(Appropriations) No one.

House Committee - Testimony For:    (Trade & Economic Development) New entrants into the labor force are expected to decline by half during the next decade; at the same time the skill levels of jobs are rising.  Business and labor representatives support a comprehensive study to gather the information currently not available to identify and evaluate:  (1) current training efforts; (2) whether a need exists for additional programs or funding; and (3) how the governance issues regarding training programs should be addressed.

Getting all the interested parties involved in a study and evaluation is the first step to meeting the critical training needs into the next century.

The pilot projects will help evaluate ways of meeting future training needs.

(Appropriations) The study and pilot programs are necessary to help Washington state meet its training needs through the year 2010.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      (Trade & Economic Development) None.

(Appropriations) None.

VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      Yeas 97; Excused 1 - 2/28

Excused:    Representative Chandler