BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1797
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 1797 (Rodriguez)
As Amended April 1, 2014
Majority vote
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT 7-0 APPROPRIATIONS 14-3
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|Ayes:|Roger Hern�ndez, Grove, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bigelow, |
| |Alejo, Chau, Gorell, | |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian |
| |Holden, | |Calderon, Campos, Eggman, |
| |Ridley-Thomas | |Gomez, Holden, Linder, |
| | | |Pan, Quirk, |
| | | |Ridley-Thomas, Weber |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | |Nays:|Donnelly, Jones, Wagner |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires the California Workforce Investment Board
(CWIB), in consultation with the Division of Apprenticeship
Standards (DAS) to conduct specified activity related to
expanding job training and employment for allied health
professions. Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires the CWIB, in consultation with the DAS, in efforts to
expand job training and employment for allied health
professionals, to do the following:
a) Identify opportunities for "earn and learn" job training
opportunities that meet the industry's workforce demands
and that are in high-wage, high-demand jobs.
b) Identify and develop specific requirements and
qualifications for entry into "earn and learn" job training
models and establish standards for corresponding skills
training programs that result in an industry-recognized
credential certifying that the individual is ready to enter
an "earn and learn" job training model in the allied health
professions.
c) Develop means to identify, assess, and prepare a pool of
qualified candidates seeking to enter "earn and learn" job
AB 1797
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training models.
2)Requires the CWIB to prepare and submit to the appropriate
policy committees of the Legislature a report on its findings
and recommendations on or before December 1, 2015.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, this bill will result in no significant impact to the
CWIB as the Health Workforce Development Council currently
performs much of the activities required in the bill. The bill
will result in minor costs to prepare and submit a report to the
Legislature, likely funded through Workforce Investment Act
discretionary funds.
COMMENTS : According to the author, the demand for healthcare
workers in the United States has remained high for many years,
growing at a rate faster than the overall employment rate for
the past 50 years. The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of
Labor Statistics projects that of the 20 industries projected to
gain the most jobs between 2008 and 2018, five of those
industries relate to health care:
1)Offices of physicians (772,000 new jobs);
2)Home health care services (441,000);
3)Services for the elderly and persons with disabilities
(431,000);
4)Nursing care facilities (394,000); and
5)Offices of dentists (233,000).
The author states that currently, health care providers face a
range of employment and workforce issues. There are significant
shortages of healthcare workers in certain occupations and
geographic areas, while there is oversupply in other areas.
According to a recently published survey by the California
Hospital Association, California's hospitals could need more
than one million new allied health professionals by 2030. An
aging population, population growth, and federal health reform
will likely contribute to the increased demand.
The author argues that "earn and learn" job training programs
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(including apprenticeships) have been increasingly recognized as
a highly effective workforce strategy for building skills and
earnings in entry- and middle-level jobs, for increasing
productivity and for aligning employer demands with the supply
of workers for this critical industry. These training programs
can be a critical part of the workforce strategy related to
healthcare reform as it is seen as a way to train long-term care
workers and address some of the workforce issues including
recruitment and retention, training a quality workforce and
improving quality of patient care.
The author states that lack of clear career pathways for
healthcare workers means that people with the greatest longevity
and experience in the industry may find themselves "stuck" in
low-skill, low-wage jobs with little opportunity for
advancement, and employers may be less able to take advantage of
the skills they have gained over the years. Because the cost to
train healthcare workers is high, turnover can be a significant
expense for healthcare industry employers.
Analysis Prepared by : Ben Ebbink / L. & E. / (916) 319-20
FN: 0003311