H-2239.2  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2211

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Representatives McMorris, Clements, Boldt, Lisk and D. Sommers

Read first time 02/26/97.  Referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.

Relating to work force training.

    AN ACT Relating to work force training; and adding a new section to chapter 28C.18 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 28C.18 RCW to read as follows:

    The legislature finds that the work force training and education coordinating board has identified work force development goals, performance indicators, standards, and evaluation criteria for our state's comprehensive work force training system.  However, despite these efforts, the legislature finds that Washington's work force training system is unduly fragmented, spending eight hundred sixty-six million dollars in fiscal year 1996 through eighteen agencies and more than sixty-eight different training programs.  In order to identify and coordinate the most efficacious use of work force training funding and to streamline program efforts, the legislature finds that the work force training and education coordinating board must intensify its efforts on:  (1) Identification of program funding; (2) options for program consolidation; and (3) coordination of related programs in order to redirect resources toward programs that most effectively meet the needs of those businesses which produce family wage jobs for workers in our state.  The legislature therefore intends to direct the work force training and education coordinating board to develop a comprehensive matrix of current work force training programs, program participation requirements, and corresponding resources allocated for program purposes, both federal and state allocations, in order to develop a fiscally prudent work force training system that is responsive to the needs of both employers and employees in the state of Washington.

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