STAND. COM. REP. NO. 109

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 1308
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Labor and Environment, to which was
referred S.B. No. 1308 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN
     INCUMBENT WORKER JOB TRAINING PROGRAM FOR GROWTH
     INDUSTRIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:
     
     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the
establishment of an incumbent worker training program for growth
industries.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and the
Department of Human Services.

     Your Committee finds that industries such as biotechnology,
healthcare, information technology, and telecommunications must
often import workers because the State's existing workforce lacks
necessary skills.  For many of these new and emerging industries,
having to bring in workers is also an added expense that they
cannot afford.

     Your Committee believes this measure will provide
opportunities for many of Hawaii's workers in new, growth
industries such as call centers, telemedicine, and diversified
agriculture.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 109
                                   Page 2


     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Labor and Environment that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 1308 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and
be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Labor and
                                   Environment,



                                   ______________________________
                                   BOB NAKATA, Chair

 
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