[Filed with Secretary of State September 9, 2014.]
ACR 119, 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 long-term 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 April 1, 2015, so it may address these funding concerns during its 2015-16 Regular Session.
WHEREAS, The California Community Colleges comprises 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 community colleges play an important role in boosting our state’s economy and providing students with the education, training, and skills necessary to keep our state and nation globally competitive; and
WHEREAS, The community colleges offer a broad array of career-oriented courses, certificates, and associate degrees through career technical education (CTE) and 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 and training 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 other workforce and training programs in the California Community Colleges lack 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, faculty, and organized labor representatives 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 April 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.
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