California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 119

Introduced by Assembly Member Muratsuchi

March 6, 2014

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 119—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.