BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1310
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Date of Hearing: May 4, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
Sandre Swanson, Chair
AB 1310 (Furutani) - As Amended: March 31, 2011
SUBJECT : Education: career technical education and workforce
development.
SUMMARY : Requires specified state agencies to coordinate on
the development of a strategic plan for connecting education and
workforce development. Specifically, this bill :
1)States that the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development
Agency (Agency), the California Workforce Investment Board
(CWIB), the Office of the Chancellor of the California
Community Colleges (CCCCO), the Board of the Governors of the
California Community Colleges (BOG), the state Department of
Education (Department), and the California Postsecondary
Education Commission (Commission) shall develop the strategic
plan and outlines what the strategic plan would include.
2)States that it is the intent of the Legislature that the CWIB
and the CCCCO solicit input from K-12 and postsecondary
education institutions, local workforce investment boards,
regional occupational centers and programs, adult school
programs, and other appropriate entities in developing
recommendations for the strategic plan.
3)Requires CWIB and the CCCCO to report their recommendations to
the Governor and the Legislature on or before July 1, 2012.
4)Requires the CCCCO to provide the staffing and resources
necessary for developing and reporting the strategic plan,
within their current level of funding.
EXISTING STATE LAW :
1)Establishes the public school system of this state, which
includes among other schools, secondary, postsecondary
(University of California, the California State University and
the California Community Colleges) and technical schools.
2)Creates the Labor and Workforce Development Agency (Agency)
consisting of Office of the Secretary of the Agency, The
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Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB), CWIB, the
Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), the Employment
Development Department (EDD)
3)Establishes the CWIB, and requires the CWIB to assist the
Governor with promoting the development, oversight, and
continuous development of a well-educated and highly skilled
workforce, and also assist in the development of the State
Workforce Investment Plan.
4)Declares the intent of the Legislature to deliver
comprehensive workforce services to jobseekers, students, and
employers at comprehensive one-stop career centers to, among
other things, make outreach, intake, job search and placement
assistance, and other related services available in one
location.
EXISTING FEDERAL LAW creates the federal Workforce Investment
Act (WIA) of 1998, which established an ongoing program to
provide funding for, and to give direction and support to, state
workforce development activities. WIA creates incentives for
the formation of integrated systems of state workforce
development boards, appointed by individual state governors, and
local workforce investment boards run by local service providers
and officials. WIA requires that 85 percent of the federal funds
supplied for the WIA go to the local workforce investment
boards, with the remainder allocated by the Governor for state
discretionary purposes.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : According to the author, as California reaches a
startling unemployment rate of 12.3 percent, the state needs a
comprehensive strategy to get Californians back into jobs to
help reenergize our economy. Now more than ever, displaced
workers, high school graduates, veterans, foster children, and
others who may not have completed their high school degrees must
be prepared for meaningful employment. The current method of
workforce preparation has great potential to address the
individual needs of a diverse population. However, more can be
done to strengthen the coordination between community colleges,
adult schools, high school career technical programs, workforce
investment boards or a variety of public, private, and
non-profit training centers. Additionally, the author states
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that many agencies involved in workforce development already
have a type of plan or strategy for the delivery of training,
yet they fail to significantly work cohesively or integrate.
This bill would require the lead agencies involved with
education and career training of the state's workforce to
conduct stakeholder meetings. The information gathered would be
used to provide recommendations to the Legislature regarding the
development of a single state strategic plan on workforce
development.
Supporters agree and concur that California schools, employer
and students could all benefit from our state having a clearer
plan to develop our workforce and direct students to successful,
career pathways and that career technical education is important
to the future health and growth of California's economy, it is
important that California develop such a strategic plan.
PRIOR LEGISLATION :
AB 35 (Furutani) of 2009, which was held in the Senate
Appropriations Committee, would have required CWIB to assist
CCCCO and BOG to develop a strategic plan for connecting
education and workforce development in the state.
AB 365 (Portantino) of 2007, which was vetoed, would have
required CPEC, in cooperation with the Agency, to convene a Task
Force on State Workforce Needs. In his veto message, Governor
Schwarzenegger wrote:
"I am supportive of efforts to align state workforce needs
with program development at postsecondary education
institutions. However, statutory authority is not
necessary for the California Postsecondary Education
Commission to meet the objective of convening meetings with
the relevant entities, and developing recommendations.
Therefore, this bill is unnecessary."
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Association of Leaders for Career Preparation
California Business Education Association
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California Farm Bureau Federation
California Manufacturers and Technology Association
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Lorie Erickson / L. & E. / (916)
319-2091