Read first time 02/01/2005.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

     WHEREAS, Chapter 238, Laws of 1991, created the work force training and education coordinating board to provide planning, coordination, evaluation, monitoring, and policy analysis for the state training system as a whole, and advice to the governor and legislature concerning the training system, in cooperation with the agencies that comprise the state training system and the higher education coordinating board; and
     WHEREAS, Section 2, chapter 130, Laws of 1995, requires the board to update the state comprehensive plan for work force training and education every two years and requires the legislature, following public hearings, to approve or make changes to the updates; and
     WHEREAS, The state faces the work force challenges of: (1) Closing the gap between the need of employers for skilled workers and the supply of Washington residents prepared to meet that need; (2) enabling workers to make smooth transitions so they may fully benefit from the new, changing economy; and (3) assisting disadvantaged youth, persons with disabilities, new labor market entrants, recent immigrants, and low-wage workers in moving up the job ladder during their lifetimes; and
     WHEREAS, The state comprehensive plan sets forth the following six strategic opportunities for the next two years:
     (1) Increasing postsecondary education and training capacity at the subbaccalaureate level, targeting our resources to expand capacity in programs that prepare individuals for the jobs that are in highest demand, and at the same time ensuring that all individuals, especially target populations, have access to a broad range of education, training, and retraining opportunities;
     (2) Reducing dropouts and integrating career guidance into the school curricula, building on the success of community partnerships that implement effective dropout/retrieval programs, increasing vocational pathways into skilled jobs and related training programs, and holding our schools accountable for engaging and retaining students through graduation;
     (3) Expanding and sustaining industry skill panels using partnerships of employers, educators, and labor to foster innovation and enable industries and public partners to be proactive, addressing changing needs quickly and competently;
     (4) Increasing training linked to retention support for low-income individuals because with the growth of our work force slowing and the increasing diversity of our population, it is essential we develop career pathways that enable low-income workers to advance, meeting the needs of employers for skilled workers and our social goal of family self-sufficiency;
     (5) Increasing basic skills and English as a second language instruction that is integrated with occupational skills training since without education and training opportunities, our illiterate population, immigrants, low-income workers, and unemployed can be stuck in dead ends; and
     (6) Expanding customized training for incumbent workers to help our businesses be more competitive in the world and our workers more competitive in the labor market as in today's economic context, there is an increasing need to train and retrain incumbent workers to keep pace with technological advances and to take advantage of high-performance practices; and
     WHEREAS, The state comprehensive plan includes: (1) Assessments of our state's employment opportunities and skills needs, the present and future work force, and the current work force development system; (2) goals and strategies for meeting the work force challenges; and (3) a description of the performance management system for work force development as required under chapter 238, Laws of 1991; and
     WHEREAS, The work force training and education coordinating board used an inclusive process of public hearings and contact with approximately 3,500 individuals to develop consensus on the priorities identified in the plan and has secured the unanimous endorsement of critical constituencies, including business, labor, and the agencies delivering work force services; and
     WHEREAS, The provisions of the comprehensive plan and its updates that are approved by the legislature become the state's work force policy unless legislation is enacted to alter the policies set forth therein;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the state of Washington, the Senate concurring, hereby approve the 2004 update to the state comprehensive plan for work force training, "High Skills, High Wages."