BILL NUMBER: ACR 119	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Muratsuchi

                        MARCH 6, 2014

   Relative to the California Community Colleges.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 119, as introduced, Muratsuchi. Community colleges: career
technical education.
   This measure would encourage the Chancellor of the California
Community Colleges, in consultation with affected stakeholders, to
develop options to address the longterm funding needs of career
technical education and other workforce and training programs at the
campuses of the California Community Colleges, and to submit those
options to the Legislature before June 1, 2015 so it may address
these funding concerns during its 2015-16 Regular Session.
   Fiscal committee: yes.



   WHEREAS, The California Community Colleges is the nation's largest
system of higher education with 112 colleges that serve more than
2.3 million students each academic year; and
   WHEREAS, The California Community Colleges play an important role
in boosting our state's economy, and provide students with the
education, training, and skills necessary to keep our state and
nation globally competitive; and
   WHEREAS, The California Community Colleges offer a broad array of
careeroriented courses, certificates, and associate degrees through
career technical education (CTE) or other workforce and training
programs; and
   WHEREAS, Recent high school graduates, underemployed and
unemployed adults, incumbent workers searching for career
advancement, veterans, and college graduates seeking retraining can
all benefit from CTE and other workforce and training programs; and
   WHEREAS, A college degree or industry-recognized certificate is
the principal pathway to personal economic security; and
   WHEREAS, After several years of budget cuts during the recession,
California community college, CTE, and other workforce and training
course offerings have been reduced; and
   WHEREAS, California has seen cutbacks of more than $500 million in
programs that prepare individuals for employment; and
   WHEREAS, CTE and other workforce programs are often expensive due
to the need for smaller class sizes and specialized equipment and
facilities; and
   WHEREAS, Prioritizing existing CTE and other workforce and
training resources in major regional industry sectors may help close
the skills gap in our state's labor force; and
   WHEREAS, CTE and workforce programs in the California Community
Colleges have lacked adequate long-term funding to meet the needs of
today's growing economy; and
   WHEREAS, Any change to funding for CTE and other workforce and
training programs at the California Community Colleges requires the
enactment of legislation; now, therefore be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature encourages the Chancellor of
the California Community Colleges, in consultation with affected
stakeholders, including, but not limited to, experts in the field of
CTE, business and industry representatives, and faculty, to develop
at least three options to address the long-term funding needs of CTE
and other workforce and training programs at the campuses of the
California Community Colleges, in a manner that adequately funds the
programs that regions deem valuable to their economies, and to submit
those options to the Legislature before June 1, 2015; and be it
further
   Resolved, That it is the intent of the Legislature during the
2015-16 Regular Session to address the long-term funding needs of CTE
and other workforce and training programs at the campuses of the
California Community Colleges; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.