BILL ANALYSIS
AB 3
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 22, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
William W. Monning, Chair
AB 3 (V. Manuel Perez) - As Amended: April 13, 2008
SUBJECT : Renewable energy workforce readiness initiative.
SUMMARY : Requires the establishment of the Renewable Energy
Workforce Readiness Initiative, as specified. Specifically,
this bill :
1 Requires the California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB), by
2011, to establish a Renewable Energy Workforce Training
Initiative (Initiative) to ensure green collar job placement
and advancement opportunities within California's renewable
energy manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance
and operation sectors.
2)Specifies that the Initiative shall be targeted at all of the
following populations:
a) Low-income and disadvantaged populations.
b) At-risk youth.
c) Formerly incarcerated nonviolent offenders.
d) Displaced and incumbent workers in transition.
e) Veterans of past or present military service.
3)Requires the Initiative to award "workforce training grants,"
on a competitive basis, to applicants that can identify and
involve target worker populations and demonstrate the ability
to implement and operate renewable energy worker training and
education programs in California.
4)Specifies that eligible applicants may include the following:
a) Nonprofit organizations.
b) Local governments.
c) State-approved apprenticeship
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programs.
d) Community colleges.
e) Postsecondary educational
institutions.
f) Local workforce training partnerships
and collaboratives.
g) Regional occupational programs.
5)Requires the Initiative, in evaluating an application for a
grant, to assign higher priority to an application that
satisfies one or more of the following criteria:
h) Serves individuals in families with incomes less than
250 percent of the federal poverty level.
i) Includes collaboration with community-based nonprofit
organizations, labor organizations, state-approved
apprenticeship programs and educational institutions with
expertise in serving low-income adults or youth.
j) Links adult remedial education with occupational skills
training.
aa) Ensures that supportive services are integrated
with education and training, and delivered by organizations
with direct access to and experience with targeted
populations.
bb) Involves employers and labor organizations in
the determination of relevant skills and competencies,
ensuring that the certificates or credentials that result
from the training are recognized by employers and labor
organizations.
cc) Leverages additional public and private
resources to fund readiness programs, including cash or
in-kind matches from participating employers, nonprofits,
or labor organizations.
6)Requires the CWIB to collect and analyze labor market data,
track workforce trends, document academic and occupational
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competencies, identify future skill needs, promote and support
local workforce training initiatives, and provide technical
assistance and capacity building to energy partnerships and
apprenticeship training programs that are approved by the
Division of Apprenticeship Standards related to renewable
energy and workforce development in California.
7)Requires the Initiative to report to the Legislature on the
implementation of these requirements no later than January 1,
2012.
8)Provides that these requirements shall be implemented using
moneys appropriated from an unspecified fund to be
established.
9)Makes related legislative findings and declarations.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
This measure is sponsored by the author, who states the
following in support of the bill:
"As of February 2009, California has a 10.5% unemployment
rate. Every county with double digit unemployment rates in
the State of California are rural counties or have
significant rural areas. Many of these rural communities
are primed for a green economy.
An analysis performed in 2006 by the Renewable Energy
Policy Project looked at the employment gains throughout
the U.S. and ranked California No. 1 with over 5,000 firms
capable of manufacturing the necessary components for green
facilities and infrastructure. When at 33 percent Renewable
Portfolio Standard (RPS), if California were to service,
operate, and maintain local facilities/infrastructure; as
well as manufacture components and have a transmission
system to export energy to other states, it could maximize
their potential to create jobs.
In the 80th Assembly District, renewable energy production
alone has the potential in the next 6-8 years to create up
to 8,000 new permanent jobs and another 86,000 temporary
construction jobs associated with this industry in Imperial
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County alone.
A barrier to renewable energy and energy-efficiency growth,
in the State of California, is a shortage of a skilled and
trained workforce, according to the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory. In the United States, community
organizations have promoted the idea that green collar
employment offers a "pathway out of poverty" for
individuals in economically depressed or marginalized
Areas.
Impoverished areas can often have difficulty gaining access
to apprenticeship programs for skilled trades. We are
currently at a time when skilled workers are aging and
shortages of skilled workers are becoming a major concern
for employers and so we need to aide existing organizers to
bridge the gap?
?With the availability of new energy efficient and
renewable energy technology available for energy generating
facilities, greener energy facilities will be built in CA.
The need for properly trained workers will be in high
demand and there are currently thousands of unemployed
residents in CA that need jobs?
?The initiative is geared to target and involve populations
that are considered low-income, disadvantaged populations,
at-risk youth, displaced and incumbent workers in
transition, and veterans of past or present military
service."
PRIOR AND RELATED LEGISLATION :
AB 3018 (Nunez) from last session established the Green Collar
Jobs Council (GCJC) within the California Workforce Investment
Board (CWIB).
AB 3018 specified that the GCJC is comprised of the appropriate
representatives from the CWIB's existing membership, including
the K-12 representative, the California Community Colleges
representative, the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency
representative, the Employment Development Department
representative, and other appropriate members.
AB 3018 also required the GCJC to develop a strategic initiative
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to identify and develop the framework, funding, strategies,
programs, policies, partnerships, and opportunities necessary to
address the growing need for a highly skilled and well-trained
workforce to meet the needs of California's emerging green
economy.
The bill required the GCJC to do all of the following:
(1) Assist in identifying and linking green collar job
opportunities with workforce development training
opportunities in local workforce investment areas (LWIAs),
encouraging regional collaboration among LWIAs to meet
regional economic demands.
(2) Develop public, private, philanthropic, and
nongovernmental partnerships to build and expand the
state's workforce development programs, network, and
infrastructure.
(3) Provide policy guidance for job training programs in
the clean and green technology sectors to assist and
prepare specific populations, such as at-risk youth,
displaced workers, veterans, formerly incarcerated
individuals, and others facing barriers to employment.
(4) Develop, collect, interpret, and distribute statewide
and regional labor market data on California's new and
emerging green industries workforce needs, trends, and job
growth.
(5) Identify funding resources and make recommendations on
how to expand and leverage these funds.
(6) Foster regional collaboratives in the green economic
sector.
Since the enactment of AB 3018, the GCJC has met several times
and is working to develop the strategic initiative discussed
above. Following the enactment of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009, the GCJC has been focusing some of its
attention on opportunities for green collar jobs made possible
as a result of that act.
AB 1394 (Bass) from this year is a follow-up measure to AB 3018.
Among other things, AB 1394 authorizes the GCJC to accept any
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revenues, moneys, grants, goods, or services from federal and
state public entities, local philanthropic organizations, and
other sources, to be used for purposes relating to the
administration and implementation of a strategic initiative the
GCJC is required to develop. AB 1394 also requires the GCJC to
confer with the appropriate state and local agencies to
coordinate the award of grant funds and green workforce training
funds received by the state under the federal American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
AB 380 (De La Torre) from this year proposes to enact the
California Clean Energy Curriculum and Training Initiative of
2009. That measure requires the Labor and Workforce Development
Agency (Labor Agency), by July 1, 2010, to establish
standardized curriculum for use at schools and to provide
outreach, assistance, and guidance to schools on creating clean
energy training programs. AB 380 is similar to AB 2224 (De La
Torre) from last session, which was held under submission in the
Senate Committee on Appropriations.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
American Legion, Department of California
CalEnergy Operating Corporation
Calexico Community Action Council
Calexico New River Committee
California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance
Center for Employment Training (Coachella Valley)
Center for Employment Training (El Centro)
Comite Civico del Valle
El Centro Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
Imperial County Board of Supervisors
Imperial County Building and Construction Trades Council
Imperial Valley College
Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program
Institute for Socio-Economic Justice and Progressive Community
Development
Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties
Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union 230
Solar Millennium, LLC
State Building and Construction Trades Council
Sunecor Energy, Inc.
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Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Ben Ebbink / L. & E. / (916) 319-2091